


Thorns and Roses

by kaj13



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Arranged Marriage, F/M, Fluff and Angst, No Valla kingdom, all of the royals are alive, but I'll at least keep up with my set schedule, i might spontaneously post chapters at other times, mostly just fluff though, newest update schedule: the 15th of every month, no war between nohr and hoshido
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-24
Updated: 2019-09-15
Packaged: 2019-10-15 15:29:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 62,664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17531375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaj13/pseuds/kaj13
Summary: In an attempt to ease tensions between Hoshido and Nohr, a marriage is arranged between Princess Kamui of Hoshido and Prince Leo of Nohr. Their parents believe it will work out, but Kamui and Leo have their doubts.





	1. The Engagement

**Author's Note:**

> So instead of working on my other fic, I decide to start another one about Kamui and Leo. I know, I know, probably not the best idea. But oh well, I already wrote chapter 1. Be forewarned: this is probably just going to be a bunch of fluff.
> 
> And I obviously don't own Fire Emblem, so there's my disclaimer.

Kamui knew something was up when her parents asked to speak to her in private. The three of them gathered in her mother's well-kept chambers.

"Mother, Father, what did you want to tell me?" Kamui asked. She figured getting straight to the point was best in this situation.

King Sumeragi and Queen Mikoto exchanged a glance. Her father was the one who spoke. "Kamui, as you know, there have been tensions between our country and Nohr for generations."

Kamui nodded. This was basically common knowledge.

"Well, we have been working with King Garon to determine a way to help ease the tensions between our kingdoms."

Kamui's heart fluttered. They wanted her to be part of the solution. "Father, if I can do something to help Hoshido, I would be honored to do it." Maybe they wanted her to serve as a diplomat or ambassador.

Mother smiled and took Kamui's hands in her own. "We're so glad you feel that way because there is something that we believe you can do to help ease tensions between our countries."

"What is it?"

Father was the one who answered. "Kamui, we believe an arranged marriage between the royal families would help unify Hoshido and Nohr."

Kamui's mouth was dry. "Wait, what?!" She winced at how loud her voice was. "I don't understand…" Had she heard Father correctly?

"After many discussions with King Garon, we've come to the conclusion that a marital union between you and Prince Leo of Nohr would be a great strength for our countries," Father said.

Kamui felt the color drain from her face. "You- you want me to get… married?"

"Only if you agree to it, Kamui," Mother put in. "We aren't going to force you to do anything."

"But why me?"

"Ryoma and Hinoka are both already married," Father reminded her. "And usually the elder siblings get married first, although this isn't strictly the rule. You already know Takumi's opinion about Nohr, and Sakura still isn't of age." Oh, so Kamui was the only viable option, then.

"Also, I think this is a task that you are uniquely suited to," Mother added. "You have a trusting, kind, and patient nature. I think you will take well to Nohr, since you've always expressed an interest in it. And you have so much love to give; I know you will make a wonderful wife for your husband."

Kamui flushed at the mention of a husband. "H-husband?!"

Mother chuckled. "Yes, sweetheart. I know the thought of having a husband must seem strange, but marriage really is a beautiful commitment between two people."

Kamui started hyperventilating.

Worry filled her mother's brown eyes. "Kamui?"

"Sorry, it's just a lot to take in. Can I have some time to think it over?" Kamui blurted out.

Mother patted her hand. "Of course, dear."

"Remember you aren't being forced to do this," Father reminded her.

Kamui nodded slowly. She wanted to leave, to be alone, but she needed to know about her potential fiancé before she could really make a decision. "Can you tell me about him?" She honestly had forgotten his name; the word "marriage" had claimed all of her attention.

"Prince Leo is the third child of King Garon. He's only a few months younger than you are. From what we know of his character, he is an honorable man. He would treat you well," Father answered.

"Have you met him?"

Mother nodded. "He was at the peace conference in Cheve. He didn't know at the time that we were considering him as a potential suitor for you. And don't worry; he's a handsome young man. We're not arranging for you to get married to an unkempt man twice your age." Her lips twitched with amusement.

"Wait, so he still has to agree to it, then?" Maybe Kamui wouldn't have to actually make a decision. Maybe Prince Leo would not accept the arrangement.

"King Garon spoke to him about the arrangement in Cheve, and Prince Leo was willing to get married to you," Father said.

Kamui shook her head. "It still doesn't sound like you know much about him. And I haven't even met him…"

Mother smiled slyly. "Well, I did have a premonition about it, so I might know more than you think I do..." Mother's premonitions about the future had always been accurate.

Kamui's heart thudded at that revelation. "Well, what can you tell me?"

Mother chuckled again. "Kamui, the future is best when it is a surprise, but I saw enough to know that this would not be a mistake, if you were to go through with it. Remember that marriage takes a lot of commitment, but it can be a source of great happiness."

Kamui was relieved to hear as much. Mother rarely shared any details about her premonitions with them. She figured Mother had seen more, but chose not to share it.

Kamui stood. "Well, I have a lot to think about. Is there a certain time I need to decide by?"

"We told King Garon that we would send word within a week, so you still have a few days to think it over," Father said.

"Okay. Is there anything else we need to talk about?" Kamui inquired.

"Not for the moment," Mother said. "Just remember that we love you so much and want the best for you, and for Hoshido as well."

Kamui nodded. "I know."

After leaving her mother's quarters, Kamui wandered out to the flower garden to have some time to think. She claimed her favorite bench, which was situated within the rose bushes. The red roses were her favorites. She plucked a rose off the bush and twirled it carefully in her fingers.

The arranged marriage was like a rose, she thought. A rose was both beautiful and dangerous. She recalled a metaphor about roses. She could either mourn because roses had thorns, or rejoice because thorns had roses. At least, that's how Kamui thought it went. She just needed to decide if having the beauty was worth having the thorns.

So Kamui used that metaphor to understand what her parents were asking of her. If she went through with the marriage, that would strengthen the bonds between Hoshido and Nohr, and hopefully help ease the tensions between the countries. Mother said that this marriage could be a source of happiness for Kamui, so she supposed that was another possible benefit. Those would be the "roses" of the arrangement.

The "thorns" of the marriage were few, to be honest. She didn't know Prince Leo yet, so she'd be going into this blind. They might not actually be compatible, so that could be a stumbling block. Kamui would have to trust in her parents' judgment on this one. They had met Leo and thought he was a suitable match for her, so that was a good sign. Kamui had dreamed of marrying someone she was in love with, though. She wasn't currently interested in anyone, but that could change in the future.

She was so lost in her thoughts, that she accidentally pricked her finger on a thorn. "Ouch," she muttered and sucked on the wound. Thorns hurt, but she would deal with them, if it meant she could enjoy the beauty of the roses. She sighed. _I guess I've made up my mind. If marriage is like a rose, then I'll deal with the thorns so I can enjoy the beauty of the rose._

* * *

 

Kamui's parents were pleased with her decision to go through with the arranged marriage, but her siblings had mixed reactions. Father shared the news with the family over dinner the next day.

Takumi leapt to his feet. "What?! Kamui's getting married to one of those Nohrian scum?!" he practically screamed.

Kamui flinched at the anger in his voice.

"Takumi, please don't speak of your future brother-in-law that way," Mother chided.

"We are trying to improve our relationship with Nohr. Speaking of Nohrians as such is not acceptable in this household," Father said sternly.

Ryoma nodded. "I'm proud of you, Little Sister. I think this will be a good arrangement."

Kamui smiled at him. "Thanks, Ryoma."

"I had foreseen as much about your future, Kamui," Ryoma's wife, Orochi, noted.

"It's a little weird, but I'll support you all the way, Kamui," Hinoka promised. "And if Prince Leo does anything out of line, just let me know, and I'll take care of it." She actually cracked her knuckled.

Kamui didn't like the implied violence, but she appreciated the sentiment all the same. "Thanks for watching my back, Hinoka."

"Congratulations, Big Sister," Sakura said quietly.

"Best of luck," Subaki added. Kamui still wasn't used to Sakura's retainer being her brother-in-law now.

Takumi crossed his arms. "So what now? When's the wedding? Next week?"

Kamui choked on her water. Sakura patted her back gently.

"Well, we need to meet up with King Garon to discuss the details," Mother said. "And Kamui, you'll come with us so you can meet your fiancé."

Kamui reddened at the mention of her fiancé.

"Aw, you're going to be the most adorable blushing bride," Hinoka smirked.

"Now, I think Kamui's had enough teasing for tonight," Mother put in.

Kamui mouthed a "thank you" to the queen. Without her parents' support, this was going to be nearly impossible.

* * *

 

Plans were made for the Hoshidan royals to meet in Cyrkensia with the Nohrian royals the next week. Apparently all of the immediate family members were to be present, including Ryoma's wife, Orochi , and Hinoka's husband, Subaki.

Kamui struggled to remember the names of all of the Nohrian royals that she would meet. The two eldest children, Xander and Camilla, were both married. Then there was Leo, of course. And the youngest was Princess Elise, who was only a year younger than Sakura. King Garon's current wife, Queen Arete, was Kamui's aunt on her mother's side, so they already knew each other. And Kamui knew her cousin, Azura. At least there would be a few familiar faces in Cyrkensia.

Spring in Cyrkensia was an exciting time, with the spring festival preparations underway. The streets were crowded with people from Hoshido, Nohr, and even other countries across the ocean. If Kamui hadn't been such a nervous wreck, she would have quite enjoyed observing the happenings of Cyrkensia.

Kamui was preoccupied with the thought of meeting her future husband any moment. Mother said he was handsome, and Father said he was honorable. She just hoped he at least met those expectations.

Hinoka nudged Kamui. "Oh, Kamui! I think he's over there!" she pointed behind Kamui.

Kamui whirled around. "Where?" She knew Leo was blond, but she didn't see anyone blond by the market stalls.

Hinoka cackled. "Just messing with you. Try to lighten up a bit, okay? You're going to be just fine."

Kamui shot her sister a dirty look.

"Now, can you blame her for being nervous, dear?" Subaki asked his wife. "After all, she hasn't even met the man she's marrying yet."

Kamui sighed. She wished her siblings would stop bringing that fact up. Sakura was the only one who wasn't teasing her all of the time. Kamui was grateful for that.

The family made their way through the streets to the hotel they would be staying at. They were supposed to meet up with the Nohrians there.

Kamui's heart wouldn't stop pounding rapidly in her chest. She wasn't sure if she was going to be sick or faint. This was one of the most frightening things she had ever done. _Be strong. You can do hard things,_ she reminded herself.

She stopped breathing for a few seconds when she saw Arete and Azura's blue hair. Kamui's eyes scanned those around them, trying to figure out who everyone was. She couldn't focus because of her nerves, though.

Arete spotted them first. "Mikoto, Sumeragi! It's so wonderful to see you again." She embraced her Hoshidan siblings. She smiled at Kamui. "And hello, Kamui. I hope that the journey went well." Kamui's aunt embraced her. "You look lovely," she whispered in Kamui's ear. It was probably blatantly obvious that Kamui was about to have a nervous breakdown.

Azura was the next to greet them. "Hello, little cousin," she said as she gave Kamui a hug. Kamui was certain her cousin could feel her body trembling. Azura didn't comment on it, though.

A large man with a white beard approached them next. This must be King Garon. "King Sumeragi, Queen Mikoto, I trust you made the journey safely."

Father responded in kind. "Yes, thank you, King Garon. Allow me to introduce my children."He started with Ryoma and Orochi, then continued on down to Sakura. Kamui did her best attempt at a serene smile when King Garon met her eyes.

Garon introduced his family next. "Arete and Azura you all ready know," he commented. He gestured to a tall blond man with a black crown. "This is my eldest son, Xander, and his wife, Charlotte." Charlotte was a blonde woman with bright blue eyes. "This is my daughter, Camilla, and her husband, Niles."Camilla was a tall woman with curly lavender hair. Her husband had white hair and wore an eye patch. "And then Leo and Elise, the two youngest." Elise had curly blonde twin tails, but Kamui's attention was focused on Leo.

He wore a black headband in his blond hair; it made him look regal. His eyes were a combination of brown and amber. His armor was various shades of black and blue. Mother was right; he was certainly a handsome young man. He merely nodded when their eyes met. Kamui wondered if he was as nervous as she felt.

Sakura nudged Kamui. "Go say hi to him," she whispered.

Kamui took a step forward before realizing that she had no idea what she was doing. She swallowed and knew she wasn't ready for this. But would she ever be ready? Probably not.

Leo's siblings also nudged him forward. He stumbled a little and shot Camilla a dirty look. Kamui had to suppress a nervous giggle. She didn't know what to do, so she held her hand out to him.

He took it in his gloved hand and brought her knuckled up to his lips. Kamui felt a shiver run down her spine at the contact. She didn't know if it was because she was attracted to Leo or if it was because of her nerves. It was probably the nerves. "Nice to finally meet you, Princess Kamui," Leo said. His voice was steady, but warm.

Kamui managed a small smile. "Please, just call me Kamui." It was best to get the formal titles out of the way as soon as possible.

Leo smirked. "Kamui, then. Feel free to call me Leo, as well."

Kamui could only nod. This was so awkward to meet with both of their families looking on.

Luckily, Aunt Arete stepped in. "Well, it's lovely that we've all met, but we can get better acquainted at the show." She smiled at Azura. "Azura will be performing tonight, actually."

Kamui gasped. "I didn't know you performed at the opera house, Azura!"

Azura giggled. "Yes, Kamui. Now, c'mon, let's get going!"

Arete and Azura led the way to the opera house.

Kamui was startled to realize Leo was still holding her hand. She didn't pull it away, though. They walked together as they followed the others. Neither seemed to know what to talk about, though.

"So, um…" Kamui began.

"Well…" Leo said at the exact same time.

They exchanged a small smile. "You go first," he told her.

"Oh, well. I don't really know what I was going to say," she admitted. "I just figured we should probably try to get to know each other." _Ugh. That's obviously why you're here._

"What would you like to know?"

Kamui's mind was a tempest of thoughts. _Are you as terrified as I am? What are you thinking about this? No, no, that's too blunt. Think. Ask him how his journey was? No, avoid stupid small talk. Agh, you can't just walk in silence. He's waiting for you to say something!_ "What's your favorite color?" was what she finally blurted out. _Oh, that's such a dumb question to ask your fiancé!_

"Black. Yours?"

Kamui remembered the red roses at home. "Red."

Another awkward silence.

 _Why did I think this was a good idea again?_ Kamui couldn't help but wonder.

They were saved by Leo's little sister, who wanted to speak to Kamui. "Hi, Kamui! I'm Elise! I'm so excited we're going to be sisters!"

Kamui smiled at the younger girl. "Me too. I can already tell that you're a very special person." Princess Elise just seemed to radiant light and joy. Kamui knew that they would get along just fine.

"Aw, thanks! You're really great as well!"

"Special can just mean that you're different from other people," Leo remarked. "So it might not be the compliment you think it is, Elise." _Well, that was rude_.

Kamui pulled her hand out of Leo's. "Of course I meant it as a compliment. Don't put words in my mouth."

Leo grimaced. "Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you."

Kamui shook her head. "Well, you did. I need to talk to my sister about something, so if you'll excuse me…" She hurried off to join Sakura before anyone could reply.

"Leo, you really need to work on your tact…" she heard Elise tell Leo.

* * *

 

Kamui didn't want to sit next to her fiancé during the performance at the opera house, but she really didn't have a choice in the matter. She couldn't let anyone know about her spat with Leo; that would not be good for international relations. She sighed. She needed to be mature and just move on from his rude remark earlier. Sulking wasn't going to any good in this situation.

Leo was the first to speak between the two of them. His voice was soft and genuine. "Hey, Kamui, I'm sorry about what I said earlier. It was really thoughtless of me." _Well, at least he apologized_.

Kamui met his eyes. "Thank you for the apology. I- I forgive you. Sorry about getting mad."

"I deserved it."

And then there was yet another awkward silence.

"Why are you doing this?" Kamui blurted out. Ugh. Leo wasn't the only one who spoke without thinking.

"Pardon?"

"Why did you agree to this arranged marriage? It's not like we have to do this."

Leo raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying that you want out?"

Kamui shook her head. "At this point, that would only make things worse between Nohr and Hoshido. I said I'd marry you, so that's what I'm going to do." Kamui always did her best to keep her word and she would in this situation, even if it wasn't pleasant. "That's why I agreed to this: to make peace between our kingdoms. So what about you?"

Leo ran his fingers through his hair. "At least your parents gave you a choice in the matter. My father basically told me that I was marrying you, and that was that."

"Oh. So you're being forced into this. I'm sorry. You probably resent me for agreeing, then." Kamui focused on her hands in her lap. She couldn't say that and look him in the eye.

"What? No, of course I don’t resent you, Kamui. Perhaps this isn't what I had in mind for my future, but I'm willing to give it my best shot." Leo seemed genuine, so Kamui decided to trust him.

"I'm going to do my best as well," she promised.

The show began then, and that ended their conversation.

As Kamui watched the stunning performance, her thoughts kept going back to the man sitting next to her. _Is there any hope of love in this relationship? We're both so different that I don't know if we can even fall in love. This isn't a marriage for love, though, so I shouldn't expect that. At best, maybe we can be friends._ Like Leo had said, this wasn't what Kamui had in mind for her future, but she would make the best she could of this arrangement. And perhaps Kamui could be happy with Leo in time. She held on to that hope.


	2. Mother's Advice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the wedding plans under way, Kamui still worries about developing a relationship with Leo. Her mother gives Kamui some advice on how to handle the situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While writing this, I realized how sad it is that in canon, the royals didn't have much support from their parents during the war. Even though they're young adults, I think it would have been difficult for them. So since Mikoto's alive in this story, I feel like she'd be there to help Kamui through her challenges. (Moms are great!)

The date of the wedding was set for May 20, just one month after Kamui and Leo were officially engaged. To be honest, Kamui would have been perfectly fine with eloping, but her parents insisted she have a proper wedding ceremony. This was a political alliance, after all.

"I didn't think you'd be so eager to get married," Mother commented with a smile.

Kamui flushed. "I just want to get it over with."

Mother and Father burst into laughter. "Kamui, you don't just get the wedding over with. The wedding is only the first step," Mother finally said.

Kamui did not share their amusement. "You know what I mean. I just want it to be done. Then I won't have to worry about it happening." Honestly, the anticipation was killing her.

"The wedding is the easy part," Father said. "Actually being married is the hard part."

"But it's totally worth it," Mother interjected.

Father smiled at the queen. "Of course, my love." _Am I supposed to use pet names with Leo?_ Kamui couldn't even imagine it. It was so sappy that it was embarrassing.

"Well, I'm going on a walk in the gardens," Kamui began. Of course, it was mostly an excuse to escape this awkward conversation.

"No you don't, Kamui. We need to go over the wedding plans with you," Mother told her in a tone that only a queen could use. And that was how Kamui ended up spending five hours in her mother's room, going over guest lists, decorations, and refreshments. Kamui's only major request was that her wedding bouquet have red roses from their garden. Mother smiled and added it to the plans.

Father snuck away from the planning after the first ten minutes, so it was just the two of them. Kamui did enjoy spending one-on-one time with her mother. She realized with a heavy heart that this would probably be one of the last times they had this special time together. After she was married, Kamui was moving to Nohr and would only see her family during visits.

Of course Mother recognized her melancholy mood. She set aside the papers she'd been working on. She cupped Kamui's chin in her hand and looked into her daughter's eyes. "Sweetie, what's the matter?"

Kamui felt tears well up in her eyes. "I'm just going to miss you so much, Mother."

Mother pulled her into one of her warm hugs. "I'll miss you too, my sweet Kamui."

Kamui wept into her mother's shoulder like she had as a child. "I'm going to miss everyone so much. I love you."

Mother stroked her hair gently. "It's not like it's goodbye forever." Kamui realized with a start that Mother was also in tears. "We'll have lots of opportunities to visit. And I'll write you as often as I can." Now she was crying into Kamui's shoulder. "My baby girl is all grown up and getting married. I still can't believe it. I'm so proud of you, my daughter." Her words warmed and tore at Kamui's heart at the same time. Why did good things have to hurt so bad sometimes?

They stayed in each other's arms for a long time. They didn't need words to communicate, just the presence of each other was enough.

"I love you so much, sweet Kamui," Mother finally said, pulling away.

Kamui's tears had stopped. She smiled. "I love you, too, Mother."

Mother got a mischievous gleam in her eyes. "So, have you mentioned to Leo where you'd like to spend your honeymoon?" Mother knew that Kamui would be uncomfortable.

"H-honeymoon?!" Kamui honestly hadn't even considered that. "Can't we just skip that part?"

Mother chuckled. "Consider it an opportunity to take a vacation and travel. I think a honeymoon would do you both some good."

Kamui blushed at the hidden implications. She knew what newlyweds were expected to do on a honeymoon. "Well, I haven't had contact with Leo since Cyrkensia, so no, I haven't told him anything."

Mother grabbed Kamui's shoulders. "Write him, then. You have to put effort into this relationship, just like you do with all your other ones."

"But…" Kamui couldn't figure out how to voice her thoughts.

"But what?"

Kamui sighed. She needed to be open with her Mother about this. "I'm worried that I won't love him like I should. I know that it isn't important to achieve peace, but…"

Mother put a finger to Kamui's lips. "Sh. If loving your husband is necessary for your happiness, then it is important. Don't sacrifice your happiness in the name of peace. If this arrangement is making you unhappy, well, you're not married yet, so there's still time to change your mind."

Kamui looked away. "No, I'm going through with this, Mother. Like you said, it will work out."

Mother smiled. "If you're going to listen to my premonitions, then listen to what I have to tell you as your mother."

"Okay."

"It's true that I've never had an arranged marriage, so I don't know exactly what it's like for you, but I have been married twice, so I do understand that you're nervous about the wedding and being able to connect with your fiancé. But I know that if you both put effort into this, then you'll both be just fine."

"What if we don't?"

"Then it will be a very difficult marriage for you. That goes for anyone who's married and doesn't do anything for their relationship." Mother stroked Kamui's hair. "Write to Leo. Staying in contact with him is really important. I think you might be surprised by the results."

Kamui nodded. "Okay. I'll do it." She hugged her mother one more time. "Thanks for listening, Mother."

"Anytime, sweetie. Anytime."

* * *

 

Kamui quickly found  out that writing to a fiancé she didn't know very well was easier said than done. She really had no idea what to tell him and that made her feel foolish. For starters, she didn't even know how to address him. She didn't want to sound too formal  or, even worse, too sappy. After almost an hour of tossing her failed attempts  on the floor, she decided to stick with "Dear Leo."

After staying up much later than she should have, Kamui had written the following (and was quite embarrassed by it):

_Dear Leo,_

_This is Kamui. I wanted to know how you're doing. I hope you're well. Me, I'm doing all right. My mother spent the entire afternoon doing wedding planning with me. It was kind of exhausting, but I'm glad I got to spend time with her. She wanted to know if we were going on a honeymoon after the wedding. I'm fine either way, really. But I figured I should probably know if that was happening. I like warm places, if you want my input. Whatever is fine, though. I look forward to hearing from you._

_-Kamui_

Kamui was tempted to crumple this one up into a wad of paper as well, but she knew that she really didn't have anything better to say. She rambled way too much and most of it was about a potential honeymoon that she didn't have an opinion on. _Well, if you're writing about it, then of course you have an opinion,_ she thought. _Shut up, brain! I'm doing the best I can! Oh no, I'm having a conversation with a voice in my head again._ She shook her head to clear her thoughts.

She glanced at the clock and groaned. It was half past two in the morning. She had stayed up half the night to write one measly paragraph to her fiancé. It was too late for her to think straight. She only hoped that Leo wouldn't think too badly of her for her silly letter.

* * *

 

Kamui got a reply three days later. Unfortunately, Orochi was the one who saw it first. "Oh, Kamui! Guess what _you_ got in the mail," she taunted, waving the letter under Kamui's nose.

"What is it?" Hinoka asked.

"It's  a letter from you know who." Orochi winked at Kamui.

Kamui held out her hand. "Look, just give me the letter, Orochi." She really did not want to play this game with her sister-in-law.

Orochi stepped back. "Oh no, I need to practice my divining skills on it first. I need to see if I can know the contents before it's read." Kamui knew that was a bunch of kinshi poo.

"Heh. You should read it out loud to us, Sister," Hinoka added.

Kamui felt her face burn. "No, it's personal! Goodness, you two wouldn't want me reading your personal letters from your husbands."

"Big Sisters, be nice to Kamui," Sakura said after she heard the end of the argument. "It's to Kamui, right?"

"Aw, Sakura, don't tell me that you don't want to know what it says," Orochi pouted.

"Wait, who is it from?" Sakura asked, looking between her older sisters.

"It's from her lover!" Orochi practically shouted.

"He- he's not my lover; he's my fiancé," Kamui corrected her.

"Ah, but  if you're going to marry him, then he's going to be your lover." Orochi's grin was too wide for Kamui's liking.

Kamui felt her face grow warm at the thought of having a lover. She snatched the letter out of Orochi's hand. "I'll take this." She turned and ran out of the sitting room before Orochi could try to stop her. She heard all of her sisters burst into laughter. They were enjoying this way too much.

Kamui didn't stop until she found her favorite spot by the roses. She was out of breath from her run. After glancing back about fifty times, Kamui finally decided that she was alone. Her heart fluttered as she broke the seal on Leo's letter.

It was written in neat handwriting. Kamui was glad that Leo didn't have horrible handwriting, at least. She wouldn't have to decode it like she had to with Ryoma's handwriting.

Her hands trembled as she read it.

_Dear Kamui,_

_I received your letter yesterday. I am glad to hear that you are "all right," as you phrased it. I am doing quite well myself. I've been studying some treatises on botany in my spare time. And no, they are not as boring as everyone makes them out to be. I find them quite fascinating and educational._

_As for your question about a honeymoon, I personally think it would be good to get away from our families, even for a few days. As I'm sure you noticed, my siblings can be a bit overbearing. Since you don't mind, let's plan on a honeymoon. I don't have anything specific in mind yet, so I'll just surprise you._

_Feel free to write if you have any more questions._

_-Leo_

His letter was straightforward and organized, unlike the rambling paragraph Kamui had written him. Reading it gave her some new insights into his personality. He seemed level-headed, but sarcastic at the same time. Maybe Mother was right; writing Leo would help them get to know one another.

Kamui felt butterflies in her stomach as she read the part about a honeymoon. She'd half hoped they could skip it, but she could understand wanting a break. She wondered if Leo's brothers and sisters teased him relentlessly like hers did. Although, as soon as they heard that Leo and Kamui were going on a honeymoon, that would just add kindle to the fire. Maybe Kamui should keep that part a secret from her siblings. She felt she could share that tidbit with Mother, since they'd already discussed her feelings about a honeymoon. And as for Father, well, she'd tell him if he asked. Otherwise, she just wouldn't bring it up.

She supposed she should respond to Leo's letter, but like before, she still had no clue what to write. Leo didn't seem to have a problem with that. _Stop comparing yourself to him,_ she told herself. _You are your own woman!_ And so, Kamui wrote another letter that was all over the place.

_Dear Leo,_

_Thanks for writing back! You'll have to tell me more about botany; I don't know much about it, unfortunately. I love flowers, though, so that's kind of related. Red roses are my favorites. What's your favorite flower? And thanks for letting me know about the honeymoon. I guess I'll just have to trust you to pick out a good spot. Do me a favor and don't mention to my family that we're going on a honeymoon. I'm only telling my mother about it for now. I want to surprise everyone. Also, my sisters tease me enough as it is, so telling them would just make it worse. Speaking of the wedding and such things, are there any sorts of Nohrian foods you'd like? I'm afraid I don't know much about Nohrian cuisine. I'm excited to try new food though! I'm sure your food is really good. I hope to hear from you soon!_

_-Kamui_

Like with her first letter, Kamui was second guessing herself after every sentence she wrote. _Why did you ask him what his favorite flower is? Most boys aren't even interested in flowers._ And Kamui realized that she was a little hungry, which would explain why almost half of the letter was about food. Well, she'd written it in about a quarter of the time her first one took, so she gave it to the couriers as soon as she'd finished. Otherwise, she'd probably stay up half the night again.

* * *

 

A few days later, Orochi insisted on reading Kamui's fortune. Orochi had cornered Kamui in her own room, so there was no easy escape.

Kamui shook her head. "No, I don't want my fortune told," she insisted. Orochi would probably over embellish the details about her married life, and Kamui did not want that.

Orochi pouted. "But Orochi is reading them for everyone in the family. Something special is going to happen."

Kamui couldn't resist those puppy dog eyes. "Fine, but please don't embarrass me."

Orochi grinned. "You're going to be an aunt later this year!" she blurted out. She didn't even use any of her usual divining techniques.

Kamui gasped. "Wait, are you…"

Orochi giggled. "Yes, I'm pregnant! Ryoma and I are going to have a baby."

Kamui squealed and hugged her sister-in-law. "That's great news! I am definitely okay with that fortune."

"And now your kids will have a cousin to play with!"

"K-kids?! Orochi, I'm not even married yet," Kamui countered. _Why did she have to bring that up?_

"Oh I think you'll have a baby within the next few years," Orochi hinted.

"Orochi, stop!" Kamui actually covered her ears. "I don't want to think about that right now."

"Well, you do want to be a mother, right? I seem to recall having a conversation about this once."

That was true. "But that was before I knew I was going to have an arranged marriage," Kamui protested.

"So? That doesn't mean you won't have kids."

Kamui didn't even want to _think_ about what would lead to her having a baby. "Let me just focus on the wedding first, and then I'll deal with that part. Enough about me. Tell me when your baby is due!"

"I think I'm about two months into the pregnancy, so sometime this fall. I haven't be able to divine the exact details of the birth yet."

This news was unexpected, but it warmed Kamui's heart and gave her something to look forward to.

* * *

 

Ryoma and Orochi's news helped move some of the attention away from Kamui's upcoming wedding, which she was grateful for. Of course, the preparations for the wedding were still a priority because it was less than a month away.

The plan was to hold the wedding at a Hoshidan shrine near the capital. Takumi's retainer, Oboro, was hard at work on Kamui's wedding dress. Kamui hadn't see the dress yet, but she knew it would be perfect.

Leo's reply arrived with the mail. Kamui raced off to the garden to read it in private, before her siblings could tease her about it. The letter was brief and just answered her question from her last letter.

_Dear Kamui,_

_I don't think anyone has ever asked me what my favorite flower is, but after giving it some thought, I would say my favorite is the lady's slipper orchid, which is one of the few flowers native to Nohr. If you aren't familiar with them, the lip of the orchid is shaped like a slipper, which helps force insects to pollinate the flower. I won't bore you with more details, unless you want me to._

_-Leo_

Kamui hadn't heard of lady's slipper orchids before, but they sounded interesting. She was a little embarrassed to not even know what the lip of the flower was. _I should probably read up on botany, so I have a hope of understanding what he's talking about. Looks like I'll be spending a lot of time in the library._ Kamui didn't mind studying, as long as the topic was of interest to her. She wondered how much time Leo spent studying. It seemed like a lot.

Like in their few face to face conversations, Kamui couldn't think of an interesting reply to Leo's letter, so she put off writing a reply for days. And days turned into a whole week.

Mother noticed; she'd probably been keeping track of Kamui's correspondence with Leo. She brought the topic up during one of their walks around the gardens. "Have you heard from Leo recently? The wedding is only two and a half weeks away now."

"Well, I keep forgetting to write him back, and he hasn't written me since a week ago, so no," Kamui admitted. "And we'll be married soon, so I'll be able to just talk to him then." _Not that we have that  much to talk about._

Mother raised an eyebrow, which seemed to imply that she knew that Kamui was just coming up with excuses to not write her fiancé. "Well, just be diligent, sweetie. Now would be a good time to write him," she suggested.

Kamui didn't like being told when to do things, so she was even less motivated to write Leo. It must have shown in her face because Mother didn't drop the topic. "Kamui, did something happen between you and Leo?" She asked with a mother's concern, and Kamui knew Mother wasn't just being nosy.

Kamui swallowed. "No, not really. Honestly, I don't know what to tell him. I just tend to ramble whenever I write him, and our conversations are… Well, I don't know if they're really conversations," she confessed. Mother always had a way of getting Kamui to speak her mind. "I just feel like we're forcing ourselves to make small talk. Maybe it's awkward because I feel like we're obligated to get to know each other." She shook her head. "I don't think I'm making any sense."

Mother just nodded in understanding. "Well, would you like my advice?"

Kamui shrugged. "I guess so."

"I know that you didn't choose Leo as your companion, but think of it as making a new friend. A spouse is a lover, yes, but he is also your friend. And you're good at making friends, Kamui. Just apply those skills here." Mother made it sound so simple. Kamui doubted it would be that simple, but she thanked her mother for her advice anyway. Mother left her alone in the gardens after that.

After some time to herself, Kamui worked up the courage to write another letter to Leo. Hopefully he wasn't too annoyed by her writing him. She didn't want to be a bother. And perhaps this would get easier with practice.

_Dear Leo,_

_I have not seen lady's slippers orchids before, so you will have to show me when I come to Nohr. They sound interesting. Sorry for not responding for a while. Things have been very busy around here. Oh, I found out that my sister-in-law Orochi is expecting a baby, so I'm excited about that. It will be fun to have a baby in the family. I love babies. How are you and your family?_

_-Kamui_

Like her previous letter, Kamui sent it before she could second guess herself. Of course, when she thought about it some more, writing about how much she liked babies might give him the wrong impression. She worried that Leo would think she wanted to have kids as soon as possible, which was not what she wanted. _We're going to have to talk about that at some point._ Kamui shuddered at the idea. That wasn't something she felt comfortable writing about, in case someone else got a hold of the letter, so she'd just have to wait until they were married. Just thinking about that subject made her uncomfortable; she didn't know how she could actually talk about it with Leo.

To take her mind off of babies and marriage, Kamui joined Ryoma at the training grounds. She enjoyed training with the sword, so that's what they worked on. They didn't talk, but their sibling bond was strong enough that it wasn't awkward. When dusk fell, Kamui relaxed in the hot springs bath and let her worries wash away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm embarrassed to admit that I spent way too much time researching flowers to figure out what Leo's favorite flower is. I learned a lot, so I don't think it was a complete waste of time.


	3. Overbearing Siblings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As preparations are made for Leo's upcoming wedding, his siblings are all too eager to help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter could also be called "Leo is a Grouchypants". But since this is from Leo's point of view, that isn't the "official" name of the chapter. (I like Leo and I know that there's no way he would appreciate having a chapter about him titled as such, so that's not the title.)
> 
> Sorry it's a day late. Life has been really crazy this week.

Leo was still not entirely comfortable with the fact that he would be getting married in less than three weeks now. Not that he had anything against Princess Kamui personally; from their limited interactions, she had seemed like a decent young lady. It was more that Leo himself didn't feel prepared to take that step, especially with someone he hardly knew.

Kamui's letters had helped him get to know a little more about her, which he appreciated. She jumped between topics without any transition and mostly wrote about things that she liked. Some of the things she wrote about took him by surprise.

First, there was her question about going on a honeymoon. Camilla and Charlotte had hinted that he should plan for one, but he hadn't really considered it until Kamui brought it up. He didn't mind an excuse to get some space from his family, so he'd told her they would have a honeymoon. They'd probably just go to one of the royal family's summer homes, preferably one with a library. That way, he'd have something to look forward to, even if the whole thing ended up being extremely awkward.

Then, she'd wanted to know what his favorite flower was. No one had ever asked Leo that question before. It was so out of the blue that it made him chuckle. Leo hadn't thought about it before, so he spent some time researching flowers. In the end, he'd decided that the lady's slipper orchid was the one that intrigued him the most. He knew that Kamui probably didn't want an essay about a flower, so he kept his answer brief. He had learned a lot of interesting things about flora that he hadn't known, so he found the time was well spent.

Then, there was her latest letter. It had been interesting, to say the least. She told him the news that her sister-in-law was going to have a baby, and then wrote about how much she loved babies. It was most certainly a hint that she wanted to have babies of her own. There went Leo's hopes of having a platonic relationship with Kamui, which he'd already known was out of the question. As her husband, he was supposed to make her happy, so he'd give her what she wanted. He wasn't against the idea of having his own children, but he was not prepared for this. He'd never actually kissed a girl before. He was nervous about even kissing her at the wedding ceremony; being more intimate with Kamui terrified him. _Maybe I can talk her into taking things slowly,_ he hoped. Leo knew she'd end up getting her way, regardless.

The worst part about writing Kamui was that his siblings were constantly badgering him about the letters. Xander was the only one who left Leo in peace this whole time. They had their differences, but Leo appreciated that about him. Camilla, Elise, and Charlotte were just dying to tell him exactly how to woo Kamui. And of course, Niles just had to join in, too. It seemed picking on Leo was their new favorite pastime during family meals. Azura just sat in the background and listened in, so she was a passive participant in it all. Although, she was the only one of them that actually knew Kamui, so Leo wouldn't have minded if she'd contribute more to the discussion. Father and Queen Arete didn't dine with the siblings, so at least they weren't part of problem.

Unfortunately, Kamui's latest letter arrived on Charlotte's birthday. The way Charlotte acted depended on the situation. Today, she was acting sweet, but Leo knew that she could lose her temper if someone pushed her too far. As soon as he entered the dining room, she pounced on him.

"Leo, dear." She did that high-pitched giggle that annoyed him. "Do tell me what Princess Kamui says."

Leo sat in his seat at the table and rolled his eyes. "I don't see why that's any of your business."

"Now, Leo. Be nice to the birthday girl," Camilla chided.

"Tell us what she said, Big Brother," Elise demanded.

"Oh ho! What secrets are you hiding, Lord Leo?" Niles teased.

Leo flushed at all of the attention. He had to tell them _something_ , or else they'd never leave him alone. "She just wrote that her sister-in-law is expecting."

"Expecting what?" Niles prompted. Leo was certain Niles knew exactly what Princess Orochi was expecting.

"A baby," Leo replied flatly.

Elise actually jumped out her chair. "Ooh! I'm so excited! You know what this means, Big Brother? You're going to be an uncle! Aw, Uncle Leo. It's so cute."

"Elise, don't call me cute," Leo grumbled.

"I think that's lovely news," Camilla commented.

Xander cleared his throat. "So is this Prince Ryoma's wife?"

Leo nodded once.

Fortunately, the servants brought out the first course of Charlotte's birthday dinner, so no one pestered Leo for a few moments. The first course was stew with a green salad. Leo was happy that there were tomatoes.

Tomatoes… Leo suddenly remembered that Kamui had asked him about food for the wedding in one of her letters. He'd totally forgotten to tell her he wanted tomatoes! As long as there were tomatoes, Leo would be content. _I'll have to write her and tell her,_ he mused.

Tonight was going to be a late night. Since it was Charlotte's birthday, she had asked for an evening birthday ball. That translated to having an all-night party with drinks and dancing. Leo was not looking forward to that particular brand of torture. His one consolation was that since he was engaged, no one would force him to dance with any of the eligible bachelorettes.

Leo didn't realize that Charlotte had addressed him until Elise poked his shoulder. "Charlotte asked you a question, Big Brother. Stop being a dummy and answer her."

Leo looked over at Charlotte. Her blue eyes were too bright. "Leo, what are you planning for your honeymoon? It's got to be absolutely perfect!"

_Not this again._ "I'm still working out the details."

Camilla tittered. "I'm surprised, Brother. You usually plan everything out well in advance."

"We've got to help plan!" Elise interjected.

Leo decided that protesting wouldn't do any good in this situation, so he just tried to tune their plans out. He caught snippets about tropical islands and beaches. _Now they're just trying torture me. They know I hate tropical islands._

Leo snapped when his sisters moved on to romantic activities he and Kamui could do on said tropical island, such as swimming in the ocean or taking walks on the beach. He slammed his hands on the table and stood. "Enough! I'm not in love with her, so I'm not doing any of those things! And I hate tropical islands, so I'm not taking her there!"

Everyone got really quiet. Six pairs of eyes stared at Leo. He cleared his throat. "My apologies, I lost my composure for a moment."

"Leo…" Camilla began.

"Please excuse me," he muttered and hurried out of the dining room.

He made his way to the library, of course. The library was one of the few places that Leo felt like he could be alone. He didn't feel like studying, so he picked up a novel he'd been reading recently and curled up in a corner.

After a few hours of solitude, Camilla approached him. "Leo, can we talk?" She sat next to him, not bothering to wait for an answer.

Leo sighed. She probably wanted to talk about what happened at dinner. "What is it?" He didn't put down his book, but he'd listen.

"We're all sorry for upsetting you at dinner," Camilla apologized.

"I'm not mad anymore." Leo wouldn't pretend that he hadn't been angry at dinner; he'd made it blatantly obvious how he felt.

"It's perfectly normal to be nervous about getting married," Camilla began. "I know that you aren't marrying Princess Kamui because you're in love. I can only imagine how difficult that is, darling. We're all proud of you for going through with this to help make peace between our countries."

"It's not like Father gave me a choice," Leo grumbled.

"Get your nose out of that book at look at me, Leo," Camilla demanded. She snatched the novel out of his hands.

"Hey!"

"I'm trying to talk to you, and it's hard when you're distracted like that." Camilla tucked his book under her arm.

Leo crossed his arms. "You have my attention, Sister." The sooner they finished this discussion, the sooner he could get his book back.

"Tell me, if Father had given you a choice in the matter, would you have agreed to this arrangement? "

Leo sighed. "I honestly don't know. I know that the point is to help strengthen our bonds with Hoshido. And I knew since I was young that I would probably have an arranged marriage."

"So what's bothering you?" Camilla murmured.

Leo always struggled with explaining his feelings. "I'm not ready for this. I don't think I'll be able to do my part as a husband. I don't love Kamui, but I don't want to hurt her or make her unhappy." He recalled how he'd offended her within five minutes of meeting her. She'd forgiven him, but it was likely that he would upset her again in the future.

"And that's how I know that you're ready," Camilla commented.

"What? Were you listening to anything I said?"

"Yes, I heard you. You're putting her needs above your own. And that's exactly what you're supposed to do as her husband."

Leo didn't know what to say about that. They sat in silence for a moment.

"I believe you can fall in love with her," Camilla finally said. She squeezed his shoulder. "Give it a try." She got up."The ball is starting soon. We'd love it if you came."

The last thing Leo felt like doing was going to a ball, but he supposed he should go support his family. "Give me back my book, and I'll come."

* * *

 

As Leo had expected, Charlotte's ball had gone on all night long. She dragged poor Xander onto the dance floor more times than Leo could count. _I hope Kamui isn't like that._ Leo himself kept to the edges of the room and read his book. Around midnight, he left and went to bed.

He got up later than normal the next morning. After getting ready for the day, he wrote his reply to Kamui's letter. If he put if off for too long, then his siblings would get on his case.

_Dear Kamui,_

_My family is doing well. Yesterday was Charlotte's birthday, so we hosted a ball at her request._

Leo paused. He couldn't think of anything interesting to say about the ball. And he couldn't just lie to her and say he was doing great. This was going to be a very short letter.

_The ball was tiring, and I'm glad it's over. It ended much too late for my liking. But Charlotte was happy, so I suppose that's what matters._

_I realized last night that I forgot to answer your question about refreshments at the wedding. I would like to have tomatoes, if that's possible. Other than that, I'm pretty indifferent. It's unlikely that I'll have much time to eat anyway. From my observations of my siblings' weddings, the bride and groom hardly get any time to themselves._

Leo paused again. Should he mention her comment about babies? It was a subject he'd rather avoid, but it was something that married couples needed to discuss. Well, the least he could do was congratulation her on the news of Orochi's pregnancy.

_That's wonderful news that Orochi is going to have a baby. Speaking of, how many children do you want to have? Since we're getting married, I think this is something we should discuss._

Leo felt his face burn while he wrote those words. He'd started writing about it, so he might as well finish. Besides, writing about this would probably be easier than talking about it in person.

_I haven't given it much thought, personally. I think I'd be okay with a couple of kids, but I'm fine if we don't end up having children. We don't need to rush anything, though. I'm just curious about what your expectations are._

_-Leo_

As usual, Leo reread his letter. He was mortified by its contents, especially the last part about having kids. _I can't send her this!_ He considered burning it, so that no one would read this disaster of a letter, but decided against it. He would keep the letter, if only for reference in the future. He would have to hide it from everyone, though.

He grabbed a new sheet of paper and wrote a less embarrassing letter. It was basically a shortened version of his first draft, minus the part about children. There really wasn't a need to discuss that yet.

_Dear Kamui,_

_That's wonderful news that Orochi is having a baby. Please congratulate her for us._

_My family is well, thank you for asking. Yesterday was Charlotte's birthday, so we had a ball in her honor._

_I realized that I forgot to answer your question about refreshments for the wedding. I would like tomatoes, if that's possible. I'm mostly indifferent, since it's unlikely I'll have much time to eat._

_I suppose we'll see each other again in a few weeks, so we'll have plenty of time to discuss things then._

_-Leo_

Leo made a copy of the letter for his own records, then sent his letter off to Hoshido.

* * *

 

The next morning, Elise pulled Leo away from the library for an "important" activity. Leo hoped it wasn't one of her tea parties again. Maybe he could talk her into a game of chess. Although, he always creamed her at chess, so she'd probably say no.

"So what is this important event, Elise?" Leo asked as she dragged him through the corridors of the castle.

When she answered, Leo actually wished they were having one of Elise's tea parties instead. "We're getting your new rooms ready today!" Elise said cheerfully.

"What?! What's wrong with my old one?" Leo complained. He'd had that room since he was a child; he didn't want to move. _At least you're not moving to a different country like Kamui._ When he thought of it that way, Leo was impressed by Kamui's courage. He certainly wouldn't look forward to moving to a new country.

"Well, there's not enough room in your old room for you and your wife," Elise explained. "Unless you want to squish two people into a one person room." She wrinkled her nose. "I don't think Kamui would like that though."

Leo shuddered at the thought of having almost no personal space. As much as he hated to admit it, Elise did have a point. "I wouldn't like it either."

"Yeah, you'd just be even more of a grouchy pants, and we've got to protect Kamui from that," Elise commented. "No one wants a grouchy husband."

"Will you please stop calling me that?" Leo grumbled. "Surely I'm not _that_ bad."

Niles suddenly stepped into the hall. "Ah, but you are, Lord Leo." He shook his head in mock disappointment. "You are a force to be reckoned with when you don't get your full eight hours of sleep."

"Ugh," Leo groaned. "Why are you even here?"

"Niles is going to help get your rooms fixed up," Elise said.

"Why?" Leo asked. He was suspicious of Niles' motives.

Niles smirked. "Surely you know what married couples do in their rooms. As your retainer, it's my job to make sure everything is just right for you two lovers."

Leo flushed. "Ugh. Could you not make that sound so disturbing?"

Camilla stepped out of a door that Leo assumed led to his new room. "Is Leo already complaining? You haven't even see your new suite yet, dear." She grabbed Leo's hand and pulled him into a sitting room.

There was a wooden coffee table in the middle of the room. The love seat and sofa were both made of gray fabric. "This is your sitting room," Camilla explained. She pointed to a door opposite them. "That leads to your bedroom, and the door to the right is your wash room. That door," she nodded at the one on the left, "leads to Kamui's sitting room."

"There's also a door connecting your bedrooms," Niles put in. He snickered.

"Niles," Leo hissed.

Elise was still too pure for her own good. "Well, why's that a bad thing? You guys could have sleepover parties!"

Niles smirked. "That's one way of putting it, yes. Although I can think of some other activities-"

"Niles," Leo warned.

"Never mind." Thanks goodness Niles stopped whatever innuendo he was going to say.

Camilla took over the discussion again. "So Leo, we can have the servants move all of your things in today, if you'd like. That way you're settled in before Kamui moves in."

Leo really didn't want to move, but he knew that if he got it done, then his siblings would most likely stop pestering him about it."Let's just get this over with," he said.

With the servants doing most of the moving, it took considerably less time than Leo expected to move all of his things to his new room. After filling three bookcases in his bedroom, Leo had to put his remaining books in his sitting room.

Camilla shook her head. "My, my, little brother. I knew you had a lot of books, but _six_ bookcases full?"

"Is there a problem with that?" Leo countered.

"Just don't neglect your wife because you spend so much time with your nose in a book," Camilla commented.

_Kamui seems to be the only person important enough to fuss over nowadays,_ Leo couldn't help but think. _No one cares if I'm unhappy; everyone only cares that I don't upset Kamui._ Leo had told her that he didn't resent her when they'd met, but that was before his siblings had decided that Kamui's happiness was the single, most important thing in the world. Leo knew the situation wasn't Kamui's fault, but even hearing about her was starting to grate on his nerves. He was certain the situation would only get worse once they were married.


	4. Cherry Blossoms and Roses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Nohrians arrive in Hoshido for the wedding, and Leo and Kamui are reunited.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternate summary: The author wants it to be spring, so she wrote about flowers, and Leo and Kamui appear in the chapter. (Just kidding! But seriously, I want it to be spring. I woke up to snow again this morning... Ugh.)
> 
> And I honestly can't believe I wrote this and then posted it on the Internet for anyone to read! There's so much fluff in this chapter that it's embarrassing that I actually wrote this. I think it's cute, and I hope you guys like it, too.

The cherry blossoms were in bloom when the Nohrian royals arrived in Hoshido for the wedding of Prince Leo and Princess Kamui. The sight of pink flowers growing on trees was a novelty for Leo, and he couldn't help but stop and study the cherry blossom trees. They were only about thirty minutes away from Castle Shirasagi and they had made good travel time, so Leo felt that taking a break like this was fine.

Of course, Niles found Leo's fascination with the trees quite amusing. "Lord Leo, if you look at Princess Kamui the way you look at those trees, then-"

"Shut up, Niles," Leo interrupted. "I'm studying the flora for research purposes, nothing more."

"Ooh, you should give some to Kamui!" Elise suggested. "It would be so romantic."

Leo rolled his eyes. "I'm sure she's seen thousands of cherry blossoms already this spring. And do we even know if it's okay to pick the cherry blossoms?"

"But Leo, they would be flowers from you, so that makes them special," Camilla commented. "Trust us. We're women, so we know what we're talking about."

Queen Arete must have overheard the conversation because she joined in. "Oh, it's all right if you pick a few flowers, Leo. Go ahead and do it." Well, since her sister was the queen of Hoshido, Leo would have to trust she was telling the truth.

Charlotte broke off a small branch of flowers and gave them to Leo. "Give these to Kamui, or else I'll kick your butt later," she muttered. Leo knew that it wasn't an empty threat from personal experience.

Leo sighed. "Fine. I'll give her the flowers. Although she told me that her favorite flowers are roses," he mused.

Elise pressed her fist into the palm of her hand. "Well, we're just going to have to find some roses, then."

"Wait, Elise. That's not what I was implying," Leo grumbled. _Why didn't I keep my mouth shut?_

"Well, you should get her some roses, too," Elise insisted.

Leo rubbed his forehead with his gloved hand. This discussion was starting to give him a headache. "Look, I'll go see a florist when we get to the city, okay?"

"Yay!" Elise cheered.

* * *

 

When they got in the city, Leo made good on his promise and bought a bouquet of red roses for his fiancée.

The florist was a cheerful middle-aged woman with dark hair. "Are you the lucky man who is marrying Princess Kamui?" she asked. Obviously, he was a noble from Nohr and he was buying roses, so it was a logical conclusion.

"That is correct," Leo replied.

"Well, best of luck to you, milord! She's a wonderful young lady," the florist said.

Leo nodded. "Thank you." He tried to pay for the flowers, but the florist refused his money.

"Oh, no. These are for Lady Kamui, right?"

"Yes."

"Then consider them a gift, milord." The florist winked at Leo, and he knew the discussion was over. A bell chimed as he closed the door to the shop.

Camilla and Elise were waiting for him by a fountain in the plaza. Elise arranged the cherry blossoms and roses artistically into a bouquet. "There, that should do it," she said.

Leo's throat felt dry. Actually giving Kamui flowers was a little intimidating. He swallowed. "So I've got cherry blossoms and roses. Am I missing anything?" As much as he didn't enjoy his sisters' interference, he might as well take their advice in giving flowers to a lady.

"Hmm, well you're just missing one thing, but I can't put my finger on it," Camilla said. She pinched his cheek, and Leo swatted away her hand.

"What was that for?" he grumbled.

Camilla just laughed. "Well, don't forget your smile, little brother."

"Yeah, no one wants a grumpy pants giving them flowers," Elise added.

Leo just ignored her, since he knew she wanted a reaction.

Father approached the siblings. "Children, it is time to go now," he informed them in his deep bass voice. "Are those flowers you have, Leo?"

Leo blushed and cleared his throat. "They're for Kamui," he said sheepishly.

Father just chuckled. He rested a heavy hand on Leo's shoulder. "I'm pleased to see you're learning how to court a lady," he said. "You're taking after your father, for sure." Father left before Leo could respond to that.

Well, that was just great. Practically all of Nohr knew about Father's dalliances with women. Leo did not want to follow his father's example in that area. _I'll be faithful to Kamui, even if I'm not in love with her. I won't make the same mistakes that Father did,_ Leo promised himself. Since he was born out of wedlock and knew how difficult that was on a child, he would make sure that no child of his came into the world that way.

"Well, Father was always popular with the ladies," Camilla stated. "Oh, get rid of that sour face, Leo. You're going to be just fine."

Leo released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "Let's just get this over with."

* * *

 

All of the Hoshidan royal family members were in the courtyard to welcome the Nohrians. Leo's eyes were instantly drawn to Kamui. She was standing next to her sisters, Hinoka and Sakura. She wore a turquoise dress, which Leo believed was called a yukata. Her silver hair fell down to the middle of her back in gentle waves. A black headband kept her locks out of her face. Her crimson eyes widened when they met Leo's, and her cheeks took on a rosy hue.

Leo was sure his face was as red as hers, but since they'd made eye contact, he couldn't ignore her. He approached her, flowers in hand. His hands were sweating in his gloves.

"Lady Kamui," he said formally. He brushed a chaste kiss to the back of her hand. She wasn't wearing gloves, and her skin was soft and warm.

"L-Leo," Kamui stuttered. Her face got even redder. She was just as nervous as he was.

Leo couldn't help his smirk. She was kind of cute when she was flustered like that. "You look lovely," he whispered.

"Oh, um, th-thank you," Kamui squeaked.

Leo released her hand and offered the flowers. "These are for you."

"Thank you." She gathered the bouquet in her arms and tried to hide her blush in the flowers. Perhaps Leo had almost no experience with flirting or courting, but her reactions were worth it. Maybe it wasn't the best thing that he was flirting mostly just to get her flustered, but he was enjoying it.

Princess Hinoka nudged Kamui and smirked. "Heh. You're adorable when you're flustered, Little Sister."

Kamui glared at her sister and her blush deepened even more. Her cheeks were getting close to the shade of her eyes. "Hinoka, stop," she hissed. It would seem that Kamui got just as much grief as Leo did. She met Leo's eyes again. "It's good to see you again. Would you like me to show you to your rooms?" She wasn't stuttering anymore, but her cheeks were still flushed.

Leo nodded. "Certainly."

He heard Niles snicker behind him. He probably shouldn't have flirted with Kamui like that in front of all of their siblings and parents. Leo would never hear the end of it now. "Niles, please take my things up for me," Leo ordered. Niles might be his brother-in-law now, but he was still Leo's retainer.

"Of course, milord," Niles said. Leo hoped that he would keep his suggestive comments to himself.

Kamui led them through a maze of corridors, until they reached a room on the second floor. She slid a door open and entered the room. There was a sleeping mat on the floor; Leo recalled that Hoshidans didn't sleep in beds. There were a couple pieces of wooden furniture, but other than that, the room was mostly empty.

"This is where you'll be staying, obviously" Kamui said. "Your family have rooms in this same hall."

Niles lugged in Leo's trunk. He observed the room with his good eye.

"You're Niles, right?" Kamui asked.

Niles grinned. "That would be me. Leo's faithful retainer and brother-in-law."

Kamui smiled warmly. "Nice to officially meet you."

She turned to Leo. "There's a hot springs pool by the north wing of the castle." She bit her lip. "I don't remember what time the men's baths are, but I'm sure the servants can tell you."

Niles couldn't resist that opportunity. "So you might be joining us in the baths, then, milady?"

Kamui blushed. "Of course not. That wouldn't be decent, after all." She sighed and turned back to Leo. "So anyway, this is your room for the next few days. If you don't have any questions for me, I'll see you tomorrow, then."

"You could spend the night here," Niles suggested. "I'm sure you have plenty to discuss."

Both Leo and Kamui blushed at the implication. "Niles, be respectful," Leo ordered. "You're dismissed for the evening. Go bother Camilla."

Niles smirked and closed the screen door behind him. "Have fun."

Leo sighed. "Sorry about that. Niles talks a little rough sometimes, but he's a good man."

Kamui nodded. "Well, do you need anything before I leave?"

Leo shook his head. "No, thank you."

"Okay. Well, goodnight then. And thanks for the flowers," Kamui said as she hurried out of the room, bouquet still in her arms.

"Goodnight, princess."

* * *

 

The men's time for the hot springs pool was in the morning, so Leo went to the pool with Father, Xander, and Niles at that time. The water was warm and soothing after their journey to Hoshido.

The Nohrians weren't the only men in the pool at that time. King Sumeragi and his two sons were already there, along with other Hoshidans Leo didn't know. Prince Takumi left the water as soon as the Nohrians arrived, muttering something about "Nohrian scum." _And this guy is going to be my brother-in-law? Just wonderful._ At least King Sumeragi and Prince Ryoma were courteous to the guests. They made small talk, but no one seemed interested in having a deep conversation. This was a time to relax, after all.

When Leo heard the footsteps of another person entering the pool, he instinctively turned to look at them.

And then he quickly averted his eyes. Kamui stood before all of them, only clad in a black bikini. He hadn't expected _that._ And staring would just make this even more awkward, especially since Kamui's father and brother were there.

Sumeragi stood and shook his head. "Daughter, did you forget what time the women's baths are again?"

Ryoma frowned. "Kamui, it's our turn right now."

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Kamui squeaked. "I'll leave right away." Leo heard her feet splash through the water as she ran out of there.

Ryoma shook his head. "Father, we really should get someone to guard the entrance when it's the men's time to bathe."

Niles raised his eyebrow. "Is this something that happens often, milord?"

King Sumeragi answered with a sigh. "My apologies for that. Sometimes my daughter forgets when she can come in here."

"Ah. I thought she wanted to give Lord Leo a peek before their wedding night," Niles commented before anyone could stop him.

Leo felt his face burn. "Niles, be quiet," he hissed. The last thing he needed was Niles being, well, Niles in front of Leo's future in-laws. They were trying to strengthen relationships with the neighboring nation, not offend the royal family.

King Sumeragi raised an eyebrow at that comment. "I assure you that was not her intention. As I said, this is not the first time this has happened."

Leo left soon after that incident. Things had gotten a little too uncomfortable after Kamui had shown up.

Leo dressed in brown slacks and a white button-down shirt. He towel dried his hair, then put his usual headband in place.

Kamui approached him soon after he left the hot springs. She must have been waiting for him. Fortunately, she wasn't wearing her black bikini anymore and had changed to a light pink yukata with a pattern of tiny red flowers on it. "Leo, I'm sorry for showing up like that," she apologized. She focused on her bare feet, and her cheeks were flushed. "I promise I didn't mean anything indecent by it; I honestly forgot it was the men's turn in the baths."

Leo sighed and ran his fingers through his damp hair. "I know. Your father told us this isn't the first time it's happened."

Kamui still wouldn't meet his eyes. "I'm still really embarrassed. I hope this doesn't make things awkward between us."

_Things are already awkward between us,_ Leo thought, but he kept that thought to himself. "It's fine. I'll just pretend that didn't happen." Of course, he couldn't get the image of Kamui in her bathing suit out of his mind. Before he realized what he was doing, he was eyeing the curves of her figure. _Don't think about that!_ Leo averted his eyes quickly, blushing.

"Thanks for being understanding," Kamui said.

Leo nodded. "Of course. Everyone makes mistakes, after all."

Both of them were quiet for a moment. Leo was the one who broke the silence. "Was there anything else you wanted to discuss?" If they were going to stand there awkwardly, then Leo would rather just leave.

Kamui flushed again and took a deep breath. "If you're not busy, would you like to go on a walk with me through the gardens?" Her words were slurred together. "Only if you want to, of course."

"Certainly," Leo replied. The wedding was only in four days now, so spending more time together was a good idea. And being with her was much more enjoyable than having his siblings pester him about her.

He offered Kamui his arm, and she took it tentatively. Kamui led the way to the gardens in silence.

Flowers of every color were in bloom in the garden. Leo noticed purple chrysanthemums, white lilies, blue hydrangeas, yellow tulips, and many more varieties. He'd read about Hoshidan flower gardens, but seeing it in person was something on an entirely new level. And the scent of the flowers was sweet and refreshing.

"I love coming here," Kamui said softly. "It's so beautiful and peaceful. I always feel really happy when I'm here."

"I agree. This is beautiful," Leo replied. "I'm sure you're going to miss it when you come to Nohr, though."

Kamui looked up at Leo. "You said there were flowers in Nohr, though."

"Well, yes, but nothing like this. Plants don't grow very well in Nohr; the soil isn't as fertile as Hoshido's," Leo explained.

"Hm. Well, I'm still excited to see Nohr, though. I've heard it's so different from Hoshido," she said brightly.

Leo nodded. "It is."

They fell into silence again. This silence was comfortable, not awkward, however.

Kamui was the one to break it. "Leo?"

He looked down at her. "Yes?"

Her cheeks were rosy. "Um, I was wondering… if you could tell me what the plans are for after the wedding." She let go of his arm and held her hands up defensively. "It's just that you said you'd plan a- a honeymoon for us…" Her face reddened when she mentioned their honeymoon.

Leo's face also felt warm. He coughed into his fist. He'd been so nervous about the wedding, that the thought of what would happen _after_ the wedding was strange. "Well, I thought we'd leave for our… destination after the reception," he said. "The servants can move your things into Castle Krakenburg while we're… gone." _Ugh. I sound like such an idiot!_

Kamui nodded quickly. "That sounds good to me… About how long will we be gone?"

"Forever," Leo said before he could stop himself.

"F-forever?!" Kamui's eyes widened. "Whatever do you mean?" Her bewildered expression was comical.

Leo smirked. "Didn't I tell you? We're eloping and never coming back." To be honest, sometimes the thought was tempting. Well, the never coming back part, at least.

Kamui shook her head, but Leo caught a small smile. "Oh, very funny. Now tell me, how long are we _really_ going to be gone?"

"About a week, I suppose." Normally Leo planned things in great detail in advance, but with this, he wasn't sure what to do. And he certainly didn't want to force Kamui to do anything that made her uncomfortable. So he figured it was best to play this by ear.

Something in his expression must have betrayed Leo's thoughts. Kamui raised an eyebrow. "You _do_ have something planned, right?"

Leo raised a finger in objection to her doubt. "I thought I told you it was a surprise. If I tell you any more, it would ruin the surprise." The "surprise" aspect was really just an excuse not to have to talk about a honeymoon before they went on one. _Why did I think this was a good idea again?_

Kamui's eyes sparkled like rubies. "All right. I'll stop asking." She giggled. "This must be some surprise you have planned." _She's going to kill me when she finds out that my plans for the honeymoon are actually really pathetic._

"Just don't expect too much," Leo cautioned. _Because I don't have much planned._ He at least knew where they were going and about how long they would stay, but other than that, he didn't really have any plans.

"Well, like I said, I'm fine with whatever," she said. "So don't worry too much, okay?" She flashed him a soft, reassuring smile. His nervousness about everything must be blatantly obvious, but Leo took some comfort in knowing that he could also sense how nervous she was.

Leo couldn't help messing with her some more. "So you're fine with whatever, then? Perhaps I'll make some changes-"

She held up her hands again. "Well, not _whatever_. Just anything that's reasonable," she clarified. "When I said that, I kind of doubted you'd plan something like camping out in the Woods of the Forlorn for a week. That's what that creepy forest is called, right?"

"Creepy? Whoever said it was creepy? It's probably my favorite vacation spot. And it very well could be our destination."

Kamui laughed. "Yeah right. Although I guess it would be quite the adventure to spend a whole week in the Woods of the Forlorn," she mused.

Leo raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying you _want_ to go on our honeymoon in the Woods of the Forlorn? That can be arranged."

The Hoshidan princess giggled. "No, I think I'm good. I'm just saying it would definitely be memorable."

Leo chuckled. "That it would be."

Her eyes were bright with amusement, and her cheeks were still rosy. The corners of her mouth were turned up in suppressed laughter. Her silvery hair seemed to shimmer in the spring sunlight. In that moment, Leo thought she looked more like an angel than a mortal princess. His mouth felt dry when he realized he'd been staring at her like a fool.

"Well, I'm sure you have a lot to do today, so I'll take my leave of you now," Kamui said. "Thank you for accompanying me."

Leo swallowed. "My pleasure," he said.

Kamui gave him a little wave as she walked away. "I'll see you at dinner tonight," she called over her shoulder. Then she was gone, and Leo was left alone among the bright hues of flowers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am amazed at how many times in game, Kamui will enter the hot springs pool (while there are obviously men there), sit down, and then realize she messed up after all the guys kick her out. (Seriously, girl, are you off in la-la land or something? There's obviously men in the pool!) But since that's totally a thing in game, it's a thing in this fic, too.
> 
> Anyway, thanks for reading! Comments and kudos are appreciated.


	5. The First Step

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day before the wedding, Kamui struggles to deal with her feelings about all of the upcoming changes in her life. And before she knows it, the big day has arrived.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I already finished this chapter, so it seems silly to wait until March 8th to post it. Of course, that means that I have less time to finish the next chapter now, but that's fine. And this is yet another chapter about Kamui and Leo being adorable and awkward haha.

The day before the wedding arrived sooner than Kamui expected. The last few days since the Nohrians had arrived had been almost completely chaotic. Takumi's retainer, Oboro, had insisted on making almost everyone's outfits all by herself. The poor girl was about to break from the stress that she had put upon herself. When Kamui kindly offered to assist her, Oboro immediately refused. "Lady Kamui, no offense, but we both know that your skills as a seamstress are lacking, to put it mildly." That was true; Kamui hadn't ever shown much interest in sewing, so naturally she didn't develop that talent.

"Well, is there anything I can do to help you, Oboro?" Kamui offered as she watched Oboro put some finishing details on Takumi's kimono. "I feel bad that you're so stressed…"

Oboro smiled softly. "Thank you for your concern, milady, but I really am excited to do all of this." She nodded to the rack of completed outfits.

Kamui shook her head. "This is your third time making all of the outfits for a royal wedding. Your work is amazing, Oboro, but I worry that you're doing too much."

"Well, if you want to help me with something, you can try your dress on again, milady." Oboro nodded to a long white dress hanging on the rack. "I want to make sure it fits you perfectly for tomorrow."

Kamui sighed. This was about the tenth time this week she'd had to put on the dress. But if it helped ease Oboro's stress, she would do it for her friend. "I'll get Mozu to help me get changed," she said.

It didn't take long to track down Kamui's retainer, who immediately set aside her work in the kitchen to assist Kamui.

"Mozu, you can finish what you're working on," Kamui began.

Mozu shook her head. "It's fine, milady." She grinned. "Besides, helping you get ready for tomorrow is a real treat for me. Weddings were always exciting in my village, but a royal wedding is on a whole new level. And it's _your_ wedding, Lady Kamui, so I can spare a few minutes to help out."

They returned to Oboro's workshop, and Mozu helped Kamui change into her wedding dress. The bodice was of a kimono style with long sleeves, but the skirt flared out like the Nohrian style dresses. A sheer silver obi was tied around her waist. Kamui couldn't help but smile at how the dress complimented her figure when she saw herself in the full length mirror. She stood still while Oboro made her measurements and adjustments.

Mozu was on the verge of bursting from her excitement. "You're so pretty in your wedding dress, Lady Kamui. Your fiancé won't be able to keep his eyes off you," she squealed.

Kamui felt her face grow warm at the compliment. "It's just Oboro's handiwork. I'm not a world-class beauty or anything."

Mozu shook her head. "That's not what I've heard. Didn't Prince Leo call you lovely the other day?"

Kamui's face reddened even more. "He- he was just being polite," she squeaked.

Mozu put her hands on her hips. "Nah. He was saying how things are, Lady Kamui. Deny it all you want, but you are a very lovely princess. And I beg your pardon for saying so, but maybe you should accept that your fiancé might actually find you attractive."

Kamui's heart fluttered even at the mere thought of Leo finding her attractive. She laughed nervously. "Well, we'll see about that."

Oboro smirked. "She's not going to admit it, Mozu, so don't waste your breath."

Kamui glanced nervously around the room. "Look, can we talk about something else, please?"

Oboro and Mozu shared a wicked grin. Kamui gulped, knowing that she wouldn't like what they were about to say. "Well, has Lord Leo told you what you're doing for a honeymoon yet?" Oboro asked innocently.

_Not this again._ "He said it was a surprise." Kamui sighed. "Oboro, are you finished with your adjustments? I have some business I need to take care of." What she really needed was to escape this awkward conversation.

Oboro finished up her adjustments on the shoulders of the dress. "I suppose that will have to do for now," she sighed.

"Oboro, it's perfect, okay? Don't worry," Kamui insisted.

" _You_ need to stop worrying, Lady Kamui," Mozu commented. "Let's get you changed, then you need to do something relaxing. We can't have the bride being a nervous wreck on her special day."

Kamui sighed. "Alright. I'll take a walk around the gardens after this."

* * *

 

The dark soil was damp underneath Kamui's bare feet. Since she'd have to bathe again before tomorrow, she figured she could get as dirty as she wanted, so she treaded barefoot through the gardens. There was just something about being out in nature that soothed Kamui's spirits. She lay back in the dirt, not caring that it was improper for a princess. She closed her eyes and inhaled the sweet scent of roses.

It was strange to think that today was the last day that Kamui would be a single woman. Tomorrow, she was getting married. The whole thing had felt surreal up until now. She was excited about the new chapter in her life, but also terrified. _Leo and I hardly know each other. And now we're going to spend the rest of our lives together. I just hope everything works out…_

Kamui didn't realize she'd dozed off, until someone called her name. "Kamui? What are you doing here?"

Kamui's eyes flew and met the speaker's gaze. Leo stood over her, a puzzled expression on his face.

Kamui flushed. He probably thought she was crazy for taking a nap in the dirt. "Leo, I didn't hear you approach," she managed to say. She sat up and tried to brush dirt off of her back. She was covered in the stuff and soon gave up.

"Well, I wasn't expecting to find you here," Leo said defensively. "My apologies for disturbing you. I'll leave you to napping in the dirt." He turned to leave.

"Wait, Leo," Kamui called out. _I don't want him to think I'm a madwoman._ "Will you join me for a moment?" Perhaps she could explain her odd behavior.

Leo raised an eyebrow. "You want me to sit in the dirt with you? That's an odd request." _Yep, he thinks I'm nuts._

Kamui started to stand. Leo offered her his hand, and she took it. He pulled her to her feet without much effort. "No, you don't have to sit in the dirt," she said. "That was silly of me." She grimaced when she noticed the dirt under her fingernails and all over her arms. She was going to get a lecture for getting so dirty again, especially on the day before her wedding.

"Well, it was unexpected, I'll admit," Leo said. He folded his arms behind his back, which straightened his posture. _He's so tall,_ Kamui realized. She barely came up to his shoulders.

"So why are you out here, Leo?" Kamui asked.

He ran his fingers through his fair hair. "I just needed some fresh air. If you haven't noticed yet, I'm very introverted, so being around people for long periods of time can be draining," he admitted.

Kamui glanced down at her bare feet. They were so dirty that they looked almost black. "Oh. Well, I'm sorry I interrupted your solitude." Being around her was probably exhausting for Leo, and she felt bad for annoying him.

"You didn't interrupt anything, Kamui," Leo said. He was probably just being polite again. "I am the one who interrupted your nap."

Kamui sighed and met his gaze. "I shouldn't be napping right now anyway. There's still so much to do for tomorrow."

Leo nodded. "So what _are_ you doing out here, besides napping?"

Kamui bit her lip. "Well, to be honest, I'm super nervous about tomorrow. And being out here is calming for me."

Leo chuckled nervously. "You're not the only one who's nervous," he admitted. "I am relieved that you feel the same way I do."

Kamui fidgeted with a strand of her hair. "Leo, can I ask you something?" she blurted out.

"You can, but I can't promise that I'll be able to answer."

Kamui's face grew warmer and warmer as she spoke. "Sorry if this question is a little strange, but have you ever kissed anyone before?" Her heart was pounding in her chest at her boldness.

Leo wouldn't meet her eyes, and his cheeks were red again. "No… no, I haven't ever kissed anyone before." Okay, so they were in the same boat. "Why do you ask?"

A nervous giggle escaped Kamui's lips. "I've never been kissed, so I'll admit that I've been scared silly of having my first kiss in front of a bunch of people."

Leo absentmindedly tousled his hair again. "I'm right there with you."

Kamui took a deep breath. She needed all the courage she could muster to ask her next question. "Do you think we could practice?" she blurted out.

Leo cleared his throat. "What exactly do you mean?"

Kamui couldn't look at his face and explain this, so she focused on a cluster of white lilies near them. "Well, maybe we could practice kissing ahead of time, so that we don't make fools of ourselves in front of everyone." Her heart was beating much faster than normal by the time she got the words out of her mouth.

"Oh… well…" Leo was at a loss for words.

Kamui reddened in shame. "Sorry, it was a dumb idea."

 She startled when Leo's gloved fingers cupped her chin and raised her face to look at his. His dark eyes were filled with an emotion that she couldn't identify. "No, I think it's a reasonable suggestion," he said slowly. "Shall we kiss now?"

Kamui didn't trust herself to speak, so she just nodded. Her breath caught when Leo leaned in closer and slowly brushed his lips against hers. She jerked away in shock at the sensation. Kamui winced when she saw the hurt look in Leo's eyes. She had been the one to suggest this, and she was the one who had pulled back like a coward. "Sorry," she breathed. "You took me by surprise."

"I apologize. I'm not very good at this," Leo said softly.

Kamui shook her head. "No, it's my fault for pulling back so quickly." She tried to swallow past the lump in her throat. "We could- we could try again, if you don't mind. I'll try to not do that again." _I really can't kiss him like that tomorrow. That would be so embarrassing!_

Leo laughed nervously. "Well, that is why we're practicing now, instead of tomorrow, right?"

Kamui smiled half-heartedly. "Yeah. I- I think I'm ready now, if you want to…" She trailed off as he cupped her cheek in his gloved hand. This time, she leaned closer to him as he drew close. Her eyes fluttered shut when their lips met. His kiss was hesitant, yet gentle. Kamui's first impulse was to pull away again, but she restrained herself. After a moment, his lips left hers, and she could breathe again.

Kamui opened her eyes and giggled. "That was much better."

Leo sighed. "That was nice," he commented. He surprised Kamui when he pulled her closer and kissed her again. This kiss was more determined than before. Kamui gasped when he moved from her lips to her jaw. Leo's kiss was more passionate than their other attempts, and that frightened Kamui.

"Leo," Kamui mumbled. "Leo, please stop." To her relief, his lips stopped caressing her face.

Leo took a step back from her. He was still a little breathless. "My apologies. I got carried away," he confessed. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, Kamui."

Kamui sighed. "I just need some time to get used to this," she admitted. "But at least tomorrow shouldn't be as awkward."

Leo nodded. He took her hand and brushed a kiss to her knuckles. Her heart fluttered at the contact. "We don't need to rush anything, Kamui. I don't want you to be uncomfortable or scared of me. We'll take things at your pace."

Kamui smiled softly. "Thank you, Leo, for being so patient with me." In a moment of boldness, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed Leo's cheek.

His dark eyes widened at the contact, and he touched his check where she'd kissed him. "You should probably get cleaned up. I doubt your seamstress would be pleased if you got dirt all over your wedding dress," Leo observed, after a moment of silence. "I- I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow," Kamui responded meekly.

Leo turned and quickly walked away. Normally being in the flower gardens was soothing, but right then, Kamui's heart was still racing in her chest. _I can't believe I just had my first kiss,_ was foremost in her thoughts.

* * *

 

Getting a good night's sleep the night before the big day was nearly impossible for Kamui. She felt so jittery about tomorrow that her body couldn't relax. It didn't help that her mind kept replaying her first kiss with Leo. She really hoped she hadn't hurt Leo's feelings by being so nervous about his affection. She wasn't disgusted by his kisses, but she was scared of taking that step with someone, especially someone she hardly knew. _And after we're married, he'll only want to get more intimate with me,_ she thought. Of course thinking about _that_ only worsened her insomnia. _If I can't even handle a few kisses, how am I going to do anything else with him?_ Kamui's heart pounded much too quickly in her chest. She wasn't ready for this. No amount of practice would prepare her for tomorrow night.

She threw off her blanket and put a robe over her nightgown. Maybe Mozu or Kaze could give her something to help her fall asleep. Both of her retainers were knowledgeable about herbs and such things, so they could probably help her.

Mozu wasn't in the hall, so Kamui assumed Kaze was on guard duty, hidden in the shadows. "Kaze," she called quietly.

He appeared by her side so quickly that she couldn't tell where he'd been hiding. "Lady Kamui, is something the matter?"

"Well, I'm having trouble sleeping, so I was wondering if you knew of any tonics that could help me."

"Certainly. Would you like me to bring it to your chambers when it's ready?" Kaze asked.

"Actually, I'd like to go to the parlor, if that's okay. I don't want to be in my chambers right now," Kamui admitted.

"Of course. I can escort you to the parlor, then prepare the tonic."

The parlor was a room reserved for members of the royal family. It had a fireplace, some cushions, and a bookcase. To Kamui's surprise, it wasn't empty when she got there.

"Mother? I didn't think you'd be in here," Kamui noted.

Mother patted the cushion next to her. "Come, join me." She was also wearing her night robe.

Kamui joined her mother by the fireplace, and Kaze gave them some privacy. Mother and daughter sat in a companionable silence.

Mother was the first to break it. "Kamui, how are you feeling about tomorrow?"

"Nervous. Well, I'm excited too, of course, but I'm mostly just nervous. I haven't been able to fall asleep," Kamui admitted.

Mother chuckled softly. "It's perfectly normal to feel that way the night before your wedding. Would you like to tell me what's on your mind?"

Kamui sighed. "A lot of things. I worry that I won't meet Leo's expectations of me as his wife." This was something hard to talk about, but she needed to get it off her chest, and her mother was probably the only person Kamui could share this with. "He kissed me for the first time today, and-"

A huge grin came across Mother's face, and she clapped her hands together. "Did he really?"

Kamui felt her face grow warm. "Yes. Well, I kind of asked him to… Anyway, I couldn't even handle a simple kiss. And I don't think I'm ready for anything more intimate than that." _This is so embarrassing to admit out loud._

Mother was still smiling. "Have you talked to Leo about how you feel?" It was something she had often suggested. Write to Leo, talk to Leo, be open with him.

"Sort of. He said we didn't need to rush anything, but I feel like I'll just disappoint him."Leo had seemed all too eager to kiss her once he'd started, and Kamui felt bad for pushing him away.

"Leo's happiness isn't the only thing that matters in this relationship," Mother reminded Kamui. "You need to be happy as well. It seems like he's willing to take things at a pace that you're comfortable with, so I wouldn't worry too much. Just be open with him, and I know you'll be just fine."

Kamui sighed. "I know, I know. Communication is key for any relationship. This is just so embarrassing to talk about with him. I can't even believe I asked him to kiss me today, and then I pulled away. I'm acting like a complete fool, Mother. And I've embarrassed myself in front of Leo way too many times these last few days. He probably thinks I'm crazy."

Mother giggled. "Sweetie, you're being too adorable. You'll get used to each other. Just give it some time." Kamui yawned, and Mother raised an eyebrow. "Now, you need to get all the sleep you can before tomorrow."

Kaze returned right then. "Queen Mikoto, Princess Kamui, I've prepared a sleeping tonic, just as Lady Kamui requested."

Mother took the tonic and thanked him. "Kaze, will you escort Kamui back to her chambers after she's had the tonic?"

"Of course, your highness."

Mother pressed the teacup into Kamui's hands. "Drink up, dear." Kamui sniffed and made a face at the strong, bitter scent coming from the concoction. The liquid was dark colored and had the consistency of molasses. Kamui gulped it down as fast as she could. She almost gagged at the bitter flavor, but managed to get it all down.

She coughed. "Kaze, could you bring me a glass of water, please?" She had to get the terrible taste out of her mouth.

"I have one right here, milady," he said as he offered her the glass. "I figured you wouldn't find the sleeping tonic very appetizing."

Kamui gulped down the water quickly. Her eyelids started to feel heavy. "How strong is that stuff?" she mumbled. "I think it's already starting to work." She leaned her head on her mother's shoulder and found herself quickly drifting off. The last thing she was aware of was Kaze picking her up in his arms. After that, she slept soundly through the night.

* * *

 

Mozu was the one who got Kamui up the next morning. "Rise and shine, Lady Kamui! You're getting hitched today!"

Kamui groaned, rolled over, and covered her head with her pillow. She'd never been a morning person. "Just five more minutes, Mozu," she moaned.

Mozu just ripped the pillow out of her liege's hands. "Not today, milady. We have to get you ready for the wedding ceremony."

"Who's we?"

"Me, Queen Mikoto, your sisters, and Oboro," Mozu said. Kamui wasn't surprised by that. "And the Nohrian ladies want to help out, too."

Kamui sat up and blinked at Mozu. "So who does that include?" It seemed like way too many people were intent on helping her prepare for today.

"Queen Arete, Lady Charlotte, Lady Camilla, Lady Azura, and Lady Elise," Mozu answered. "Golly! I just realized that you'll have _two_ queens helping you get ready today! What an honor!"

Kamui laughed quietly. "Well, it's not all that surprising when one of them is my mother and the other is my aunt." She paused as she thought about this information. "But _all_ of Leo's sisters want to help, too?"

"Yep. Well, they are going to be your family after today, so it's not too strange. Back in my village, the women of the groom's family attended the bride on the wedding day." Mozu smiled at the memory of her village. "But they're all waiting for you, and you're still covered in dirt from yesterday. What is it you were doing?"

_Kissing my fiancé… Oh no! I was covered in dirt during my first kiss. I'm so embarrassed!_ "Uh, I was out in the gardens and fell asleep on the ground," she admitted. There was no way she was going to mention what had happened between her and Leo. Only Mother knew, and Kamui intended to keep it that way for now.

Mozu shook her head. "Now I like gardening as much as you do, milady, but now isn't the best time to be doing so. Well, let's get you to the baths."

Kamui frowned. "It is the women's time to bathe, right?" She really didn't want to repeat that particular mistake again. At least not in front of her fiancé. And her future brother-in-laws and the king of Nohr. She'd really blundered that day.

"Of course! I wouldn't tell you to go bathe with the men!" Mozu giggled. "I did heard about what happened the other day from Lord Ryoma. You must have been mighty embarrassed, milady."

Kamui's face reddened. "It was an accident, and yes, I was super embarrassed. Can we please drop the subject now?"

"Sorry, milady," Mozu mumbled. "I didn't mean to offend you."

Kamui got up and followed Mozu to the hot springs bath. "It's fine, Mozu. If I were you, I'd find it funny as well." _Just how many people did Ryoma tell? And that Niles character, I bet he doesn't have a problem sharing that incident with anyone. I'm never going to live this down._

The baths were vacant except for Mozu and Kamui. Kamui would have preferred to soak and relax a while longer, but Mozu made sure that she was bathed in record time. Kamui put on a simple peach yukata to return to her chambers, and Mozu wrapped her damp hair in a towel.

Oboro was waiting for them when Kamui and Mozu returned. The wedding dress was laid out on the futon mattress, along with her veil. "Took you long enough," Oboro commented. "Mozu, help me get her dressed." The two retainers quickly helped Kamui change into the wedding dress.

"I'll go let the royals know that she's ready for them," Mozu said. "Be back in a moment, Lady Kamui."

Kamui turned to Oboro. "Since I'm already dressed, what are the others going to help me with?" she wondered.

Oboro laughed. "While the dress looks fabulous on you, you're not getting married looking like that." She gestured to Kamui's face.

Kamui frowned. "What's wrong with my face?"

"Lady Kamui, you should have your hair styled and your makeup done," Oboro reminded her.

"Oh, yeah." That hadn't even crossed Kamui's mind. If she was in charge, she'd just wear the dress, have the ceremony, and call it a day. But this was a royal wedding, one that symbolized an era of peace between Hoshido and Nohr, so things would have to be done properly.

Mozu returned shortly with all of the royal ladies filing in behind her. Kamui mentally counted how many people were there. Including the two retainers, there was a total of _eleven_ people preparing Kamui for the ceremony. _Well, at least it's getting the two royal families to work together,_ she mused.

Elise was the first one to reach Kamui. She threw her arms around Kamui's waist. "Big Sister! You look so beautiful today!"

"Thank you, El-"

"And Leo is going to faint when he sees you!" Elise concluded with a giggle.

"I certainly hope he doesn't," Camilla commented.

Kamui laughed nervously. "Yeah, let's avoid any fainting today."

Mother pulled Kamui into her warm embrace. "You are so lovely, my dear Kamui. I'm so proud of you," she whispered in Kamui's ear. "You've grown up into a wonderful woman."

Kamui teared up when she remembered that today she would be moving away from her family. "Thank you, Mother," she whispered.

Hinoka raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me that you're already crying, Little Sister."

"D-don't cry, Big Sister," Sakura added. "This is supposed to be a happy day."

Kamui wiped away the tears from her eyes and smiled. "I know. I am happy. It's just a little overwhelming right now." Well, that comment had everyone patting her and giving her hugs. All of the attention was a tad overwhelming, but Kamui tried to ignore her discomfort for now.

After much more discussion than they needed, they finally came up with a plan. The Nohrian princesses would work on Kamui's makeup, the Hoshidan princesses would work on her hair, Charlotte was assigned to do the manicure, and the queens would supervise. The whole ordeal was chaotic, and Kamui just tried to sit still while her friends and family gave her a makeover.

Finally, they deemed their makeover good enough. Elise and Sakura pulled Kamui over to a full-length mirror. "Tada!" Elise cheered.

Kamui gasped. They really had gone all out. The makeup wasn't too much, but just enough to emphasize her red eyes, cheeks, and lips. Camilla had only put on a dab of lip gloss, claiming that Leo probably didn't want to get lipstick all over him today. (Kamui did not like the implication in that statement; Camilla was almost as bad as her husband.) And her sisters had done an amazing job on her hair. They had braided some of it back and pinned it up, leaving the rest of it in waves down her back. Little white jasmine flowers had been woven into her locks.

All of the women giggled at Kamui's shocked expression. "Well, what do you think?" Elise asked enthusiastically.

"That's… um… wow, you all did an amazing job," Kamui managed to stutter out. People told her that she was beautiful, but today she could actually believe it was true.

Hinoka smirked. "Just admit it already, Kamui: you're beautiful."

"I suppose you're right," Kamui said softly.

* * *

 

The sky was overcast by the time everyone arrived at the shrine for the ceremony. Kamui was relieved that it wouldn't be too ridiculously hot, but she did wonder if it was going to rain. She personally didn't mind the rain, but she knew that others didn't feel the same way about getting wet in their formal attire.

The actual ceremony was held inside the shrine, with only family members present. The reception would be held back at the castle and was more after Nohrian tradition. Blending Nohrian and Hoshidan culture was a little over Kamui's head, to be honest. She just knew that the ceremony would be more Hoshidan and the reception more Nohrian. She didn't really care, as long as everyone was content.

Well, she hoped mostly everyone was content. She knew that Takumi still had strong feelings of animosity towards Nohr, and Oboro was even worse. Kamui couldn't blame Takumi's retainer for her feelings, though. Her parents had been brutally murdered in front of her by Nohrian bandits when she was a small child. The poor girl had been scarred for life. Kamui was relieved that she was at least enthusiastic about designing the clothing for the wedding. And she didn't really know how all of the Nohrians felt about Hoshido, but Kamui hoped that things would mostly go well.

_That's why we're getting married- to show our people that our nations can coexist without hatred and war._ Kamui really shouldn't worry so much about the romance aspect of marriage; this was a political union, after all. She needed to focus on making peace between Nohr and Hoshido.

Father would be the one to walk Kamui down the aisle; the father of the bride giving his daughter to the groom was more of a Nohrian tradition, but Kamui had liked the concept and insisted that they do that for her wedding. Before Kamui knew it, Father offered his arm to her.

"Are you ready, daughter?" Father asked quietly.

Kamui felt tears well up in her eyes again. Perhaps he wasn't her birth parent, but King Sumeragi had been a father to her since she was a baby. "Not really, but let's get this over with." Her voice trembled as she spoke.

Father offered her a handkerchief. "Hey now, dry those tears, little princess. You're going to be just fine."

Kamui wiped her tears and hoped she didn't smear her makeup too much. "Thanks, Father." She wrapped her arms around him in a hug, careful not to crush the bouquet of flowers in her hands. "I love you so much, Papa."

Father chuckled. "I love you, too, Kamui. Now, shall we?" He wrapped his arm around hers.

Kamui nodded. "Yeah." She made sure her veil was in place and covering her face, then proceeded down the aisle with her father at her side. She tried not to look around too much at her surroundings. Everyone would have their eyes on her, and it wasn't very princess-like to gape at everything like this was her first time in a shrine. She did notice that the Nohrian and Hoshidan families were seated on opposite sides of the aisle, much to her disappointment. _This is going to take time,_ she reminded herself. At least no one was openly glaring.

Leo was waiting for them by the altar. He wore the white and gold suit Oboro had designed for him. His fair hair was held back by his normal black headband. He was quite dashing. His dark eyes widened when he saw her. Fortunately, Elise's prediction was false, and Leo did not faint upon seeing his bride. As it was, Kamui couldn't tell what he was thinking at that moment.

Kamui passed her bouquet off to Hinoka for the ceremony and took her place opposite Leo at the altar. For some reason, Hinoka's queer retainer, Azama, was officiating at the wedding. He was a priest, so he had the authority, but he had always seemed a bit odd to Kamui.

Kamui's mind kept wandering during the actual ceremony. Azama spoke about love, unity, and their future posterity. Both Leo and Kamui sipped the sake, then exchanged their vows. Kamui was relieved she didn't cry or stutter when she vowed to love Leo for the rest of her life. _I don't love him yet, but perhaps someday…_ Then, Azama pronounced them husband and wife.

Leo lifted her veil and pressed a brief kiss to her lips. Kamui was proud of herself for not pulling away like she had yesterday. Then, it was over, and their families came up to congratulate them.

The rest of the day passed in a blur for Kamui. They returned to Castle Shirasagi for the reception, and, as Leo had predicted, she didn't have hardly any time to eat, since she was at the center of attention. There was food, music, and dancing. They'd even invited the common people to the celebration, so the place was packed.

At some point, Leo's sisters pointed out that the newlyweds hadn't danced yet. "Leo, dear. You should ask your wife to dance," Kamui heard Camilla whisper in his ear. Leo just shook his head ever so slightly.

Elise was a bit more forward about what she expected. "C'mon, you two! You're going to dance together," she insisted and pulled both of them to their feet. The girl was much stronger than she looked.

"Leo doesn't have to dance, if he doesn't want to," Kamui found herself saying. She personally wouldn't mind a dance, but she didn't want to force her husband to dance with her. _My husband… that's going to take some getting used to._

Leo looked down at her. Kamui still wasn't great at reading his emotions, but she felt like he was a tad annoyed. "Would you like to dance, Kamui?" he asked politely.

Kamui opened her mouth, but no words came out. She would like to dance, but she sensed that Leo didn't want to, so that put her in a tight spot.

Orochi answered for her instead. "Of course, you'd love to dance, right, Kamui?"

Kamui flushed at the attention. "I- I guess so," she said quietly. It seemed both Leo and Kamui had peer pressure from their sisters. If they danced, then they'd probably get some peace.

"Shall we then?" Leo asked, offering her his hand. His face was an expressionless mask.

She nodded and let him lead her onto the dance floor. He led them in a waltz, but they didn't speak at all during the dance. After the song finished, Leo dropped her hand and strode back to their seats without waiting for her. _Something has upset him,_ Kamui noted. She hoped she hadn't done anything to annoy him again.

Fortunately, Father claimed her as his partner for the next dance, so she didn't end up standing there like an idiot. "May I have this dance, princess?" he asked.

Kamui smiled up at her father. "Of course."

Her mind wandered again during their dance. She was no longer just Father's little princess; she was now the wife of Prince Leo of Nohr. The change in status was still a lot to take in. Especially when her new husband seemed upset with her.

"What are you thinking, Kamui?" Father asked. "You seem lost in thought."

Kamui met her father's eyes again. "Oh, just stuff. I don't want to talk about it."

Father's dark eyes were sad. "Alright. But I'm here for you, even though you're a married woman now. You'll always be my daughter, no matter what your future brings."

Well, that got Kamui choked up. Tears rolled down her cheeks, most likely ruining her makeup, if it hadn't been ruined already.

"Hey, it will be okay," Father tried to comfort her.

Kamui quickly wiped away her tears. It wouldn't do to fall apart in public on her wedding day. People would talk, and it could dampen their international relations. All she wanted to do at that moment was cry and be held by her Father. But she wasn't a child anymore and needed to be strong. "Sorry, Father. I'm fine, I promise."

Father didn't seem convinced, but he didn't press the issue.

Mother and Aunt Arete were waiting for her when she returned to her seat. "It’s time for the bouquet toss," Arete reminded her.

Kamui forced a smile and went along with the tradition. Of all people, Azura caught the bouquet of red roses and white camellia. She giggled. "Looks like I'm next, then."

Eventually Leo spoke to her again. "We should probably leave soon. We have a few hours of travel time this evening," he told her. "Let me know when you're ready to leave."

Kamui nodded. She didn't want to leave her friends, family, and home, but all of the attention was getting to be quite draining. She wished she could just collapse in her own bed, instead of leaving with Leo for their honeymoon. "We're going to the Woods of the Forlorn, right?" she mumbled sleepily before she could stop herself.

Leo smirked. "Not tonight, no." Well, if he smiled, maybe he wasn't that upset with her after all.

Eventually Kamui managed to say all of her goodbyes to her friends and family. At that point, she was so exhausted that she felt like she was dreaming, so the details were vague.

Leo guided her to a waiting carriage, then the newlywed couple embarked on the beginning of their life together. Leo pulled out a book once they were situated. Kamui was too tired to be annoyed that he was ignoring her again. She rested her head on her husband's shoulder and eventually drifted off into a dreamless slumber.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now, they're newlyweds! The engagement was only about a month long, so Kamui and Leo got married before they knew it. And they're definitely still super awkward around each other, so this will take some adjustments for both of them. And they have a lot of miscommunication issues as well, but I believe in them!
> 
> I based Kamui's wedding dress a little off of this one I found: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/f7/a2/d9/f7a2d93f5f027377bb3f966e6936eaa4.jpg
> 
> I'll be honest; I don't have a ton of experience with wedding ceremonies, so I did a lot of googling about Japanese weddings, since Hoshido is based off of Japan. From what I read, it sounds like most modern-day Japanese couples have a more Western-style wedding, but I digress. I don't think Kamui would focus on all of the little details about the ceremony, so she only really focuses on what's important to her (like their international relations and the kiss, of course).
> 
> Anyway, thank you for reading and for your support! The next part will be about their honeymoon...


	6. Silly Games

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo and Kamui arrive in Izumo on their wedding night. Their host has many plans for their evening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm posting a day early because tomorrow is going to be really busy for me. The chapter is done, so why not? This is yet another chapter that is just plain old silly, as the title suggests.

Kamui fell asleep as soon as they departed Castle Shirasagi and slept during the three hour journey to Izumo. Leo was relieved to have some time to himself for the first time all day. Being constantly bombarded by everyone's attentions was extremely draining. Kamui was more outgoing than Leo was, but she was obviously exhausted from the day's events as well. As soon as they'd gotten in the carriage, she rested her head on his shoulder and promptly fell asleep. After a while, his arm started to fall asleep, so he moved her head to rest in his lap. She didn't stir at all. Either she was a very deep sleeper or this day had worn her out more than Leo had expected.

The book Leo was currently studying was on human anatomy. Since he was now married, he figured that it would be wise to brush up on his knowledge about women, so to speak. Of course, the fairer sex seemed to baffle men since the beginning of time, but Leo would learn what he could. In his experience, when he understood more about a subject, the less apprehensive he felt about it. Still, he was glad that Kamui was asleep so he could read the chapters on human reproduction without her asking about his book. Although, based on their interactions the last couple of days, Leo highly doubted they would do anything tonight, which he was just fine with. It was still good to be informed, just in case they ever made it to that step in their relationship.

Leo had decided to spend their honeymoon in Izumo because it was fairly close to Castle Shirasagi and he had never visited the country before. There were enough cultural events to keep Kamui entertained, and Leo wanted a look around the library. It wasn't that tropical island that his siblings had fantasized about, but at least it was a step up from the Woods of the Forlorn. Leo actually couldn't tell whether or not Kamui was teasing when she asked him if that was their destination tonight. She had actually seemed quite serious, but that was probably just due to her exhaustion.

When they arrived at Izumo, night had fallen quite some time ago. Leo debated whether or not he should wake Kamui, but he didn't really want to carry his sleeping bride to bed, so he gently shook her shoulder. "Kamui," he said. "We're here."

She stirred and slowly opened her crimson eyes. "Where's here?" she mumbled.

"Guess."

"Mm. Somewhere with a bed?" She closed her eyes again, as if she wanted to go back to sleep.

Leo snorted. "Well, yes. _You_ might enjoy sleeping in the dirt, but _I_ certainly don't."

Her eyes widened and she suddenly sat up, as if she had just realized something. "Wait. Did I fall asleep on you?" She covered her face with her hands. "I'm so embarrassed," she moaned.

Leo chuckled softly. "You're cute when you're sleepy," he said before he could stop himself.

Kamui flushed and looked away. "C-cute?" she squeaked.

Leo smirked. Gods, she was adorable. "You heard me correctly."

Her blush only deepened, and she shook her head. "You're just teasing me."

"Kamui, I'm being dead serious," Leo told her in the straightest voice he could manage.

She swatted his shoulder. "Leo, you're the worst!" she groaned.

"Heh. Sorry, I'll keep my thoughts to myself, if you prefer." _I won't tell you how beautiful you are._ In her white wedding dress and white jasmine flowers in her silver hair, she looked like a princess from a fairytale. And Leo was the lucky man who could call her his wife now. _Where are these thoughts coming from?_

Kamui caught him staring again and frowned. "Please do so," she told him. "I'd like to go to bed now, so I'd appreciate it if you'd tell me where to go, since you're the one who planned this."

"Of course." Leo helped her out of the carriage, then led her to the archduke's palace. Izana was the archduke's name, and he had agreed to allow them to stay for the week. Leo hadn't met the man yet, but he'd heard that Izana was a bit eccentric.

Kamui looked around at their surroundings as they walked. "So Izumo was our destination after all," she noted.

"Have you been here before?"

She nodded. "Sometimes we come here on vacation. It's a nice place. How about you?"

"No, I haven't been east of the Bottomless Canyon much because Nohrians aren't exactly welcome in these parts," Leo admitted.

Kamui gave his hand a squeeze. "Leo…" He could hear the pity in her soft voice.

Leo gave her a rueful smile. "It's fine, really. So I'll admit that I might be using our honeymoon as an excuse to visit new places."

Kamui giggled at that. "No worries. My mother said to think of this like a vacation anyway."

"You're very close to your mother, aren't you?" Leo envied her that. His relationship with his mother had always been sour, and then she had passed away while he was still young. And he'd never gotten close to Queen Arete, his stepmother, so he'd never really had a mother in his life. Camilla was probably the closest thing he had to a mother, but she was still just his older sister.

Kamui nodded. "Yes, we've always been close. I- I'm going to miss her so much," she confessed. Leo was alarmed to see the start of tears in her eyes. _Great, now I'm making her cry. This is just a great start to our married life._

"I imagine this is very difficult for you. I'm sorry for bringing it up." Leo hoped that he could at least keep her from crying. He'd never known what to do when his sisters cried, and with a wife it would only be worse.

"It's fine. Besides, it's not like I'll never see her again. We can still write letters to each other and visit, so it will work out." Her usual enthusiasm was back in her voice. "So, um…" Her face reddened like it did whenever she wanted to bring up something about their relationship that would be awkward.

Leo arched an eyebrow. "So, what?"

She looked down at her bare feet again. "I can't believe I'm asking this, but… what are our… sleeping arrangements for tonight?"

"You want to know if we'll be sleeping together," Leo surmised. This discussion was bound to come up at some point.

Kamui still wouldn't meet his eyes. She fidgeted with her hair. "Yeah, that."

Leo personally would have been fine sharing a bed with her, but anything beyond that was most certainly not going to happen tonight. They were both terribly exhausted. And it was obvious that Kamui wasn't entirely comfortable with the idea of even sharing a bed with him.

Leo ran his fingers through his hair. This was one of their most awkward conversations yet. "I'm not going to force you to do anything you don't want to do, Kamui," he began.

Kamui bit her lip. "I'm so sorry. I must be such a disappointment to you," she whispered. Where was this line of thought coming from? Leo couldn't think of anything he'd said or done to make her feel that way.

"Kamui, I'm not disappointed in you," Leo insisted.

Her miserable expression said that she didn't believe him, but she didn't say anything out loud.

The uncomfortable silence between them stretched longer than Leo liked. Leo sighed. "Kamui, did I do something to upset you?" he finally asked. He knew that he was often tactless and offended people that way without intending to.

Kamui just shook her head. "No, you're fine." She sighed. "I think I'm just overly tired." Leo wasn't sure whether or not that was the complete truth.

"Okay. Well, I apologize if I did do something to upset you." He took her hand again. "And let's sleep separately tonight, and then we can discuss this again after we've rested," he proposed. "Does that sound acceptable to you?"

Kamui relaxed ever so slightly. "Yes, that sounds like a good idea to me." She smiled again, but it didn't totally reach her eyes. "Well, let's go meet Izana." She pulled him into the entrance of the palace with her. "You have met him before?"

"No, but I did write to tell him we were coming."

Kamui snickered. "Oh, this will be interesting, then. I don't think we'll be going to bed anytime soon." Leo wasn't sure if he wanted to ask what she meant.

Leo was momentarily distracted by the inside of the palace. The ceiling of the entrance was tall and arched. The architecture was more similar to Hoshidan buildings than Nohrian buildings. Leo would have spent more time studying the room, but his attention was immediately taken by a man with long white hair.

The man wore a long white robe and he had a huge grin on his face. "Hello there! Welcome to my not-so-humble abode, Lord Leo and Lady Kamui," he said cheerfully.

Kamui smiled pleasantly. "Thanks for the warm welcome, Izana. We're glad to visit, but we're a bit tired…"

"My pleasure," Izana said. "But I haven't introduced myself to your esteemed husband yet!"

"Izana, can we save the introductions for tomorrow?" Kamui cut in. "Please," she added as an afterthought.

Izana was certainly an energetic lord, and he was so casual that Leo was having a hard time remembering that Izana was a nobleman. "Oho, but it will just take a moment, Lady Kamui!" Izana didn't wait for her response and turned his attention to Leo. "I am Archduke Izana, first heir to the divine bloodline, descendant of the gods… keeper of prophecies, and winner of best hair six times running." He winked at Leo. "Not to brag. It's so nice to meet you!"

"Izana, that's what you tell everyone that's new here," Kamui commented.

_How is this man able to run a kingdom acting like this?_ Leo couldn't help but wonder. _He's so disgustingly casual. If Father behaved like this, nothing would get done in Nohr._

Izana continued to chatter on, without waiting for Leo to even acknowledge him. "Oh, but it's only good manners to introduce myself, Lady Kamui. It would simply be rude if Lord Leo didn't know who I was. Come, I have a feast ready for both of you. And then I have some games that I want to play. You will join me, right?" Izana didn't seem to think 'no' was even a possible answer.

Kamui sighed. "Is everything already prepared?"

"Of course! I'd have to be silly to start preparing the feast when you got here. Oh we're going to have such fun tonight!" Izana reminded Leo of Elise; they'd probably be the best of friends in no time.

Kamui answered before Leo could think of a way to stop her. "We'd love to, Izana. Thank you." She smirked at Leo. If they were alone, she would probably tell Leo that he had brought this upon himself.

Izana bounced on his feet and clapped his hands. "Wonderful! Follow me to the dining hall, then!"

Leo motioned for Kamui to walk behind Izana at a distance with him. "Is he always like this?" he whispered.

Kamui was shaking with suppressed laughter. "I bet he's been waiting for us all day, so he might be a little more excited than usual, but this isn't too out of the ordinary for Izana. I can't _believe_ you chose to spend our honeymoon with Izana." Well, at least she was in a better mood now.

Leo didn't realize how hungry he was until he smelled dinner. To his chagrin, his stomach rumbled loudly.

Kamui's eyes flickered down to Leo's belly, and she patted it with amusement. "Aw, are you hungry, Leo's tummy? Don't worry; we'll feed you soon."

"Why are you talking to my stomach, Kamui?"

Kamui shrugged. "Well, the way to a man's heart is through his stomach," she said matter-of-factly.

Leo rolled his eyes. "Who told you such a ridiculous thing?"

"Your sister." Well that explained it. Leo could see any of his sisters telling Kamui such nonsense. "And I expect your sister knows you better than I do, so I bet it's true."

Leo groaned. "Please don't believe everything my sisters tell you. Yes, I like food, but my stomach is _not_ the way to get through to me." As if it objected, his stomach audibly growled again.

Kamui snickered. "I don't think your stomach agrees with that statement."

 "Why are we even having this conversation?"

"Because you're hungry."

Leo sighed. "You're not making any sense right now."

"Hm. So if your stomach isn't the way to your heart, then what _is_ the way to your heart?" Kamui mused.

  _Is she asking how to romance me?_ To be honest, Leo didn't even know that answer to that himself. He'd never been in a relationship before, so it wasn't like he'd know from experience. He was certain that his stomach did not play a role in that, though.

Fortunately for Leo, Izana interrupted them before he could figure out a response to Kamui's question. "Come. Sit down, sit down, you two lovebirds." He gestured at two empty spots at a long dinner table. Leo pulled out a chair for Kamui before he sat down himself.

The meal was a bit over the top for just the three of them, but Leo didn't mind. The table was covered in dishes of fish, rice, cooked daikon, mixed berries, tomatoes, and an assortment of other Hoshidan-type foods.

Kamui snickered when Leo went straight for the tomatoes. "You really like tomatoes, don't you?"

Leo waited until he'd finished chewing to reply. "Is there a problem with that? I'm sure you also have food that you really enjoy."

Kamui tapped her chin thoughtfully. "I guess it's a little endearing," she commented. _Wait, is she saying she thinks I'm cute?_ The thought was slightly unnerving. "But I'm quite fond of strawberries and carrots. Oh, and rice," she decided.

"Together? Is that a traditional Hoshidan dish I'm not familiar with?" Leo teased.

Kamui made a face. "Ew, no. That would be super weird." She noticed his smirk. "Hey, now I know you're making fun of me."

Leo shrugged. "Well, how am I supposed to know what you like? Everyone has their idiosyncrasies, after all."

"Ah, young love," Izana sighed. "You two make quite the happy couple." Leo had forgotten for a moment that their host was watching the entire interaction. Izana waved his hand. "Oh, don't mind me. You two go right on."

Of course, that had the effect of silencing both Leo and Kamui. Izana didn't seem to mind or notice and filled the silence with chatter about all sorts of oddities during the meal. Leo tuned most of it out, but he caught snippets about parties, competitions, and hair. _This archduke is very full of himself. What does he spend every day doing? If he goofs off like this all of the time, how does anything get done around here?_

Kamui kicked him under the table.

"Ow," Leo hissed. "What was-"

Kamui had a smile plastered on her face; she knew he hadn't been paying attention. "Leo, Izana wants to give us a wedding gift." She leaned closer to him. "So please don't ignore our host," she muttered in his ear.

Leo cleared his throat. "That's very thoughtful of you, Izana, but it's not necessary." From what he had inferred about Izana, his gift was bound to be something silly.

"Oho! I insist! I think these will come in handy," Izana said cheerfully. He presented each of them with a small wooden box. "Well, don't just sit there. Open them! Open them!"

Leo lifted the lid on the box and found a white silk pouch with traditional Hoshidan characters on it. He noticed Kamui had received a similar gift. They didn't mean anything to him, but Kamui's cheeks were pink.

"Ah, thank you, Izana," she stuttered. "This is very… thoughtful of you."

Izana laughed, clearly pleased with her gratitude. "Of course, dear Kamui. I had an inkling that fertility charms would come in handy for you two."

_Fertility charms. Oh._ Leo had a bit of a coughing fit to hide his embarrassment. Kamui patted his shoulder gently.

"Oh, that's right: Nohrians don't use fertility charms, do they?" Izana observed. "Well, let me explain to Prince Leo-"

"Izana, that's not necessary. I can explain it to him later," Kamui cut in. She pushed the wooden boxes to the side. "Didn't you say you had a game in mind for this evening?"

Leo didn't really want to play any of Izana's silly games, but that would be better than having Izana explain fertility charms to him.

Izana clapped his hands. "Oh, yes! I have this great one in mind called the Laughing Game!" Leo wanted to groan; even the name sounded pathetic.

After Izana took them to a sitting room, he explained the game to the couple. The Laughing Game turned out to be a game to see who could resist laughing. The participants took turned saying 'ho', 'ha', or 'hee.' Whoever laughed first was out. So naturally, Izana was the almost always the first one out, and Leo won every round. He did not find these childish antics amusing in any way. Kamui seemed to enjoy the game for whatever reason, so she kept bursting into giggles. At least she was happy, even if Leo would have preferred a more productive activity. Actually, he just wanted to go to bed or get back to reading his book.

After so many rounds of the silly game, Kamui got a mischievous gleam in her bright eyes. "You know, I think Leo needs a little encouragement. We can't have you dominate the entire game after all." She wiggled her fingers. "Are you ticklish?"

Leo automatically scooted away from her on the couch and cursed himself for giving away his apprehension so easily. Elise was another person fond of tickling him, and he'd learned early on to keep fingers away from his sensitive skin.

 Kamui smirked. "I think I'll take that as a yes."

"Kamui- AH!" Her menacing fingers quickly found his sides, and Leo couldn't hold back his awful laughter. He tried to grab her hands and keep them away from him. "Kamui, stop!" he begged breathlessly.

Of course the archduke found this all too amusing. "Kamui, dear, I think that would be considered cheating," he noted, but his giggles said he didn't care.

Leo managed to wrap his arms around Kamui and pin her hands to her sides. She squirmed in his tight grip, and somehow her fingers managed to tickle his belly. By reflex, Leo flinched, but maintained his hold on her. He pinned her to the couch and held her hands down away from his body.

"Oh my. Should I give you some privacy?" Izana asked.

Leo realized what position they were in and felt his face grow warm. He was sitting on top of Kamui, using his weight to hold her down. Her bosom rose and fell with each breath. _What am I doing? This is okay with Elise, but with Kamui? She- she's my wife._ The thought that Leo had a wife now was strange. And, this was something he _could_ do with his wife, he realized, but not in front of the archduke. Or anyone, for that matter.

He released Kamui and moved  a chaste distance away from her. "My apologies, Izana."

Kamui was breathless, but sat up anyway. "Well, does that mean I won that round?"

"Will you keep your hands to yourself if we declare you the winner?" Leo asked.

Kamui giggled. "I didn't realize you were so ticklish, but yes, I'll stop for now." Leo sensed she had every intention of tickling him again in the future. _Wonderful. I get to look forward to a lifetime of tickle attacks. Just my luck, I suppose._

Kamui suppressed a yawn, which prompted Izana to finally show them to their rooms. Izana wished them a 'wonderful sleep,' then practically skipped down the hall, leaving the two of them alone in front of two bedroom doors.

Kamui looked as exhausted as Leo felt. She wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned into him. Leo moved one hand to rest between her shoulder blades and the other to the small of her back. The fabric of her wedding dress was silky, and Leo could easily feel the warmth of her body in his arms. Her hair smelled sweet, and Leo realized it was the jasmine flowers still in place in her wavy locks. He had the sudden desire to hold her like this all night, while she slept like an angel in his arms… His heart beat faster as he realized where this line of thought was going. _I'm too tired to think straight. She doesn't want that anyway._

"I'm sorry," Kamui whispered.

Leo frowned. Not this again. "What are you apologizing for?" he breathed in her ear.

"For making you play that game," she said, then continued through her mental list of what she'd done to wrong him. "For tickling you, for… a lot of things." She pulled away. "Sorry, I don't think I'm making much sense." Her eyes weren't bright and playful anymore; they were sad and regretful. She was struggling to keep them open.

Leo didn't want her to blame herself for whatever she thought she'd done wrong. He tried to think of the words to comfort her. "Kamui, you haven't done anything wrong, but if it makes you feel better, I forgive you. Get some sleep. We're both exhausted and not thinking clearly." Without thinking, he brushed a kiss to her full lips.

Her eyes widened, and she pulled away. _Idiot. You know she's not comfortable with that._ She gasped. "Ah, this- this is what I'm talking about. You're my husband now, and I won't even let you kiss me." Her voice trembled. "I'm turning out to be a really pathetic wife."

"No, I'm sorry. I know you don't want me to do that and I should respect that. It's not your fault that you're practically irresistible." Leo's eyes widened. _What am I saying? That's just going to make her more uncomfortable. I need to go to bed before I do anything else stupid._

Sure enough, she gasped and brought trembling fingers to her lips. "I- I…"

"If you'll excuse me, I'm going to retire for the night," Leo said hurriedly. "Goodnight, Kamui."

His heart was still pounding after he shut the door. He sat on the bed and buried his face in his hands. _I can't believe I want her like this. I'm acting like a complete fool._ Leo prided himself on his excellent self control, but in regards to Kamui, he kept finding himself acting without thinking. He needed to pull himself together if this marriage alliance was going to succeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Steris from Mistborn is the inspiration for Leo's (ahem) reading choice during this chapter, if you're familiar with her. I won't say anything else because I don't want to include Mistborn spoilers, minor as they may be. (And this is one of the things that made Steris one of my favorite Mistborn characters.) But I can totally see newly married Leo reading a book about human reproduction. (Hopefully Kamui doesn't catch him reading it!)
> 
> The Laughing Game is a party game I found on the Internet, and, yes, those are the rules to the game. When I read about it, I knew it was something Izana would totally love, and Leo would find incredibly stupid, so I just had to include it. (Kamui was entertained by Izana and Leo's reactions to the game, as was I. Haha.)
> 
> And just so you all know (if anyone cares), I'm making some changes to my update schedule for this fic because school and life have gotten really busy for me. So for now, I'm for sure going to post a new chapter on the 15th of each month. I might sneak in another update here and there, but that's what I can do for now. I'll try to have the next chapter ready for March 15th, but we'll see about that. Thanks for reading this silly fanfic!


	7. Boundaries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kamui and Leo have a discussion about their relationship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, I managed to get this out only a day after my goal, so yay! I haven't even started chapter 8 yet, so I don't think there's anyway I'll post it before April 15th. (Wow, that seems like a long time in the future, but it will be here before I know it.) Anyway, thanks for reading. I hope you enjoy another chapter of fluff!

Kamui slept in late the morning after they arrived in Izumo. Her hair was a tangled mess with flower petals from yesterday. She'd been too tired last night to bother taking the flowers out of her hair, and now she would have to deal with the consequences of her laziness. She did have enough sense to have a maid help her change from her wedding dress to a red sleeveless nightgown and wipe the makeup off of her face, at least.

She felt well rested after a good night's sleep. Leo was right: that's what she really needed. She was mortified at how she had acted last night, especially when she had tickled her new husband relentlessly like they were small children. And then, she didn't even let him kiss her goodnight. _I'm either childish or cold around him. He probably finds me so annoying._

Leo said that he wasn't upset with her, but Kamui couldn't help but feel that deep down Leo was disappointed in her. He had seemed irritated again last night, and Kamui thought she knew why. Before going to bed, Leo had called her "practically irresistible." Obviously he was annoyed that she wasn't ready to be intimate with him. And he wanted that intimacy.

Kamui remembered her mother's advice to be open with her husband. She sighed. _As much as I don't want to bring it up, Leo and I need to talk about this. I don't want to hurt or disappoint him._

She changed into a turquoise katana and went to get breakfast. After a late breakfast in the kitchens, she went in search of Leo.

Of course, Izana tracked her down before she was successful. Izana approached her in the great hall. "Hello, hello! Good morning to you, Lady Kamui," Izana said. "Or, should I say 'good afternoon' now?"

"Hello, Izana," Kamui replied politely. "Do you happen to know where Leo is?"

"Hmm… Yes, yes, I think I interacted with the young Nohrian prince this morning. I would search for your husband in the library." _My husband… that's going to take some getting used to._

Kamui thanked him and hurried to the library before Izana could drag her into one of his activities again. She pushed open the wooden doors and entered the room full of books. After wandering around the shelves of books and scrolls, she found Leo seated at a table with a large pile of books. He wore a pair of dark brown trousers and a white long sleeved, button-down shirt. The sunlight streaming through the window made his flaxen hair look even lighter.

She suddenly felt shy. He looked very occupied, and she didn't want to disturb him. _Well, at least say hello to him,_ she chided herself. _What is wrong with me? Normally I don't have trouble approaching people, regardless of the situation._

"Hello, Leo," she said as she approached his table.

He looked up from his book and regarded her with those dark amber eyes. "Ah, Kamui. Good day. How did you rest?"

"Very well, thank you. How about you?" Kamui found herself absentmindedly fidgeting with her hair.

Leo's eyes followed the movement of her hands. "Fine, thank you."

"Well, I…" Kamui trailed off, not knowing what to say. _And now we're back to the awkward silences every time we're alone together._

Leo waited politely for her to finish her thought, but when it seemed she was done, he spoke again. "Was there something I could help you with?"

Kamui didn't know how to bring the topic up, and he seemed to want to return to his studies. "No. I'll be going now. Sorry to disturb you," she said hurriedly.

Leo's face was still expressionless. "Kamui, I can tell something is on your mind."

Kamui's shoulders fell. "That obvious, huh?"

His lips curved into a smirk. "You're practically an open book, so yes." He was quiet for a moment, and his eyes grew serious again. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked slowly.

Kamui grimaced. "Maybe? I don't know."

"Well, that's a definitive answer," Leo remarked dryly. "Am I supposed to guess, then?" He was staring at her again, searching her face for something. Kamui felt her face growing warm. After a moment of silence, Leo spoke again. "Here's my guess: you don't want to talk about whatever it is, but you feel that you need to talk about it. And I have a hunch that it has something to do with me. Am I right?"

Kamui was still at a loss for words, so she nodded nervously.

Leo sighed and shut his book. "Kamui, if you don't say anything, then this is going to be a very one-sided conversation."

_Oh, no. He's upset that I'm wasting his time just standing here like a complete fool. What do I do? I don't know how to bring up this topic. And he's staring again._ "Sorry," she managed to say. "I didn't mean to upset you."

Leo frowned. "I'm not upset, just… confused." He stood and joined Kamui, who was standing by one of the bookshelves. He cupped her chin with his fingers and tilted her face up to meet his gaze. His eyes were warm and gentle.

Kamui's heart started thudding. _He's going to kiss me… Don't freak out. You can do this._ She closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable.

"Kamui, I want you to feel like you can talk to me, so please tell me what's on your mind," he said instead.

Kamui opened her eyes. His dark eyes were warm and sincere. _He's so patient with me._ Kamui felt her face burn with shame. "I'm so sorry for making this difficult for you," she began. _I still don't know how to talk about this._ "I don't know why I feel so… intimidated by you." _Intimidated? Are you trying to insult him? Ugh. This is coming out so wrong._

The corners of Leo's eyes tightened, but he didn't say anything.

"Maybe 'intimidated' isn't the right word. I guess I'm just nervous because I've never done this before and I'm scared." Her words were coming out in a rush now. "I'd like to be friends with you, but I know that we can't just be friends. I don't know how to act around you." She swallowed past the lump in her throat. "I can tell that you want to be… intimate with me, but I keep pushing you away. You tell me that it doesn't bother you, but I think it does. And I don't want to hurt you. I just want to be a good wife, but I don't know how…"

She would probably have continued rambling, but she stopped when Leo placed his hands on her shoulders and exhaled slowly. "Kamui… I'm glad you told me how you feel." He was quiet for a moment. "I suppose since I made you share your thoughts with me, I should be open with you as well. That is, if you wish to listen to me."

Kamui nodded silently. She was feeling calmer now that she'd gotten all that off her chest. And she was curious about what Leo was thinking.

"Okay," Leo began. "So I also have no idea what I'm doing as your husband. I wouldn't mind if you had a book that would just tell me what to do and what not to do, but people don't come with instruction manuals, do they? I'm still not used to the idea that I have a wife now, but I consider myself lucky that _you_ are my wife. But I really don't want you to be unhappy or feel coerced into doing something you don't want to do."

He glanced away and blushed. "I- I will admit that I find you very beautiful, more so than I thought I would initially."

Kamui's breath hitched, and her heart started racing at his confession. "You- you think I'm beautiful?" she whispered.

Leo let out a shaky laugh. "You seem surprised."

Kamui shook her head. "I wasn't expecting you to say that."

"I'm sorry if that makes you uncomfortable, but I figured that you should know." His face was flushed from his cheeks to the tips of his ears. "However, I am in no rush to… consummate our marriage, so please don't feel pressure from me to do so. I apologize if I make it seem otherwise. I know I've said and done some things recently without thinking them through. I'd like to think that I have more self control than this, so I'll try to work on that." He squeezed his eyes shut and grimaced.

_He really needs a hug. This has been hard on both of us._ Kamui took a step towards him and wrapped her arms around his torso. She rested her head on his shoulder, feeling his heart beat in his chest.

 Leo inhaled sharply, and his heart started beating faster. _He's just as nervous as I am._ After a moment, he relaxed and returned her hug.

"I like hugs," Kamui commented. "Maybe I'm not entirely comfortable with… kissing at the moment, but you can hug me."

"Are you sure about this?"

Kamui giggled. "Yes, silly, otherwise I wouldn't say so."

"Thank you," Leo breathed into her hair. "You're very sweet."

Kamui's heart warmed at the compliment. "I should thank you for being so patient with me."

Leo chuckled. "I wouldn't mind if you showed a little more gratitude."

"Uh…"

"Sorry. I shouldn't tease you like that." He didn't sound very remorseful, though.

They were both quiet for a moment. Kamui recalled that she had read somewhere that hugs were beneficial for the soul, which she completely believed. She felt her body relax the longer Leo held her like this, and his heartbeat returned to a resting rate. She realized that she felt safe in his arms. Maybe she wasn't completely comfortable with the fact that they were married and didn't know each other very well, but in that moment, she had faith that they could make this work.

_Perhaps I_ can _fall in love with him._ She felt butterflies in her stomach at the thought. _I still want to take this slow, though. He said we didn't need to rush anything, but I want to make sure we're on the same page._

She broke the silence. "Leo, I've been thinking…"

"Ah, so that's what you've been doing with that brain of yours. I was starting to wonder."

Kamui groaned. "Leo…"

His body shook with quiet laughter. "Sorry. You were saying?"

"Well…" _How do I put this?_ "You meant what you said earlier, right?"

"I'm afraid you're going to have to be a little more specific."

Kamui pulled back to meet his gaze. For the first time today, a small smile graced his features. She couldn't resist teasing him back. "I thought I was an open book, so you should be able to just look at my face and know what I'm thinking."

Leo smirked. "I hate to break it to you, but I can't read minds, Kamui. I'm flattered you would think me capable of such a task. However, your emotions are written all over your face, so it's pretty easy to figure out how you're feeling in any given moment."

"Hmm. So how am I feeling at this moment? Demonstrate your powers of deduction." Kamui tried to keep her face expressionless, but it was something she'd never been good at.

Leo called her out on it. "Kamui, your poker face is terrible."

"You're just avoiding the question, Leo," she replied, even though what he said was true.

Leo tucked one of her curls behind her pointed ear. Kamui's heart skipped a beat at his touch. _It's just that I'm not used to being touched like that. That's all._ At least that was how she tried to justify her body's strange reaction.

Of course Leo noticed the change in her demeanor. He frowned. "Am I making you feel uncomfortable?"

Kamui shook her head. "No, you're fine. I'm just… trying to sort out my feelings," she admitted. She hugged him again, hoping that would convey that he wasn't making her uneasy. "Sorry, I'm still trying to adjust to the fact that we're married now," she mumbled into his chest.

Her husband stroked her hair. "Don't forget that we've been married all of one day," Leo reminded her. "And we haven't really had any time alone since the wedding… so don't be so hard on yourself. We have plenty of time to figure this out." He paused. "May I request something of you?"

Kamui looked up at him. "What is it?"

Leo blushed a little. "Will you let me know if I do something that makes you uncomfortable?"

Kamui nodded hesitantly.

"Good. And… will you let me know when you're ready to… be more intimate as a couple?" His face was bright red now, and Kamui was sure she was just as red.

"Yeah, I'll let you know," she promised. "Actually, that's what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Oh?"

"Well, you said earlier that you wished I came with a manual or something," she began.

"Kamui, I was joking."

She covered his mouth with her hand. "Don't interrupt me," she chided. When he didn't say anything, she continued her thought. "I'm not going to write a book on how to be my husband, but maybe we could set some boundaries for now, just so we're on the same page. Does that sound okay to you?"

Leo grasped her wrist and moved her hand away from his mouth. "Yes, I think that would be beneficial for both of us. You said you're fine with hugging, but what about other things?"

"Well, I'm not entirely certain yet. I don't think I'm ready to share a bed with you," she admitted. "I'm sorry, I-"

Leo put a finger to her lips. "Hush. If you don't feel ready to do that, then we won't sleep together until we both feel ready, okay?"

Kamui flushed. "Right. And as for kissing, I do want to… uh… get more used to that. It's not that I dislike it-" _I can't believe I'm saying all of this out loud._ "But I'll admit that I'm still not very comfortable kissing you." _Gods, that sounded harsh._ "I- I don't want to make you feel bad, so please don't take this the wrong way," she hurried to correct herself. "I just…"

She trailed off when he rested his hands on her shoulders and gazed intently into her eyes. "Kamui, don't apologize for how you feel. I want to know what you're thinking, so please don't be afraid to tell me how you really feel."

"Does that make you sad?" she whispered. "That I'm scared to kiss you?"

Leo shook his head. "Don't worry about it. This is new territory for me as well, so I understand your reservations. We can figure that out when we're ready."

"Do you like it?" Kamui blurted out.

"Excuse me?"

"Do you like kissing me?" she clarified. _I can't believe I'm being this bold._

Leo still seemed surprised by her upfront question. He wet his lips nervously. "I… yes, I do enjoy kissing you," he admitted. "However, don't feel pressured to kiss me, just because _I_ like it."

Kamui released a shaky breath. "Well, how about we keep it simple for now? Nothing too passionate, but we can kiss some."

Leo nodded like she was being perfectly reasonable. "Of course. And can I ask something of you in return?"

"Anything," she said automatically.

Leo smirked. "You haven't even heard what I'm asking yet. But I would appreciate it if you didn't, uh, tickle me." He glanced away sheepishly. "It's not something that I really enjoy."

Kamui giggled. "That's it? Sure, I think I can keep my hands to myself for now."

Leo rolled his eyes. "Are you implying that you think I'll _want_ to be tickled in the near future?"

"No, but you might deserve it." She wiggled her fingers threateningly.

He took a step back and bumped against the table he'd been studying at. "You know, Elise is also very fond of tickling, so might I suggest getting your wiggles out with her?"

"Or maybe we could join up together against you," Kamui taunted.

Leo glanced up at the ceiling as if supplicating the gods for help. "Please don't."

Kamui laughed. "Just kidding. I'll be good, I promise."

"You don't have your fingers crossed behind your back, do you?" Leo asked suspiciously.

Kamui held up her hands. "I promise I won't team up with Elise to tickle you. Seriously though, do you think I'd deceive you like that?"

Leo shrugged. "You are very much like Elise, and that's something that she would do."

Kamui crossed her arms. "Hey, don't think of me as a little sister."

"Oh, I don't." His eyes glinted mischievously. "Shall we do something that I would never do with a little sister?"

Kamui gulped. She could think of plenty of things that Leo would do with his wife, but not his sister. "What did you have in mind?" she asked nervously.

"Don't look so worried, Kamui. I gave you my word that I would respect the boundaries we agreed on." He leaned closer to her. "May I kiss you?" he whispered. "You don't have to say yes."

Kamui just nodded dumbly. She could feel her body start to tremble when Leo brushed his thumbs across her cheekbones. Then, he pressed his lips against hers, cradling her face in his hands. True to his word, it was a simple kiss, but it was kind of sweet.

Leo rested his forehead against hers. "And that is something I would never do with my sister," he whispered.

"Were you just trying to prove a point, then?"

"Mm. Perhaps."

"I don't believe you."

"I'm wounded, Kamui," Leo scoffed. "I had to show you _somehow_ that I don't think of you as a sister."

"No, you just used that as an excuse to kiss me," Kamui countered.

"Hey, I did ask for permission this time, so you should thank me."

Kamui sighed. "You're right. Thank you for your patience and for listening to me. I really appreciate it."

Leo kissed her again, but it was just a peck on the lips.

Kamui gasped when he pulled away.

Leo grimaced. "Sorry. I should have asked first."

In a moment of boldness, Kamui pressed her hands to his cheeks and kissed him back. She giggled at his shocked expression. "Leo, it's not a crime to kiss your wife. You just took me off guard again-"

A bright voice interrupted what she was going to say. "Peek-a-boo!"

Both of them jumped at the sudden interruption. Kamui let out a small yelp.

Leo frowned and glared at their host.

 Kamui pulled out of her husband's arms and addressed Izana before Leo could say anything. "Oh, hello there, Izana," she said breathlessly. "I didn't hear you approach."

 Izana laughed. "Oh, you flatter me. I wasn't even trying to be stealthy."

"What do you want?" Leo said harshly. _Okay,_ now _he's angry._

Kamui tried to shush him before Leo insulted Izana. "Was there something you needed, Izana?" she asked politely.

"Oh no. I was just checking in to see how you liked the library." His grin widened. "It seems you're both really enjoying it."

Kamui felt her face flush with embarrassment. He'd seen them kissing. Not that they were doing anything wrong, but it was still awkward to know someone was observing them doing _that_. _Why on earth did Leo think coming here was a good idea? It was amusing at first, but now this is just getting embarrassing._

"Well, thank you for checking on us. We are a little occupied, though, so if you'll excuse us," Kamui said quickly, then turned to Leo, who was still obviously ticked off.

"Leo, would you mind if I joined you at your table?" She grabbed his hand and pulled him away from Izana. She took a seat opposite of where he'd been seated earlier.

Leo sighed and sat across from her.

Izana finally took the hint. "Well, ta-ta, you two." He waved at them cheerfully, then left them alone.

Kamui  buried her face in her hands. "That was so humiliating," she moaned. "I can't believe I was so careless."

"No, it's my fault that happened," Leo countered. "I'm the one who started that." His face darkened again. "But, ugh, does he really have to interrupt us like that?"

"That was also your fault. You're the one who decided to spend our honeymoon with Izana," Kamui reminded him sweetly.

Leo shook his head. "No, the plan was to visit Izumo, not spend our honeymoon with _him_."

"Well now you know: when you visit Izumo, you're just signing up to spend a lot of time with Izana," Kamui informed him.

She glanced at the books on the desk. "Now, tell me about what you're reading," she said, changing the topic.

Some emotion flashed in Leo's eyes before he controlled his expression. "I've been studying about human anatomy recently."

"Oh, Sakura is really into that as well! Is there a particular part of the body you're focused on, or are you just studying anatomy in general?"

To her surprise, Leo stiffened in his seat, and his cheeks reddened ever so slightly. He coughed. "Just in general."

"Hmm. Well, do you mind if I have a look at your books?" Kamui reached out for the top one on the pile.

"They're really quite dull, scientific books. I doubt you'd find them interesting," Leo said quickly.

Kamui raised an eyebrow. "If they're dull, then why are you reading them?" _I know you're trying to hide something from me._

He hadn't explicitly told her not to look at the books, so Kamui pulled a book towards herself, before he could stop her. She read the title aloud. " _Anatomy of Women: An In-Depth Study._ That sounds quite interesting to me, actually, since I _am_ a woman."

"Yes, I'm quite aware that you're a woman, Kamui. Thank you for stating the obvious." Leo rolled his eyes. Well, if he was being sarcastic again, then he couldn't be _too_ nervous, right? His face was still red, though. _What is he worried about?_

Leo jumped up suddenly. He took her hands and pulled Kamui to her feet. "You know, I am tired of being in the library. Let's go on a walk, shall we?"

"O-okay," Kamui stuttered. She let him lead her out of the library.

Her mind was still working on deducing why Leo was so nervous about her finding out what he was reading. _It's just a science book on anatomy, so there's nothing wrong with that… Maybe I'm being too nosy… Or, did I do something to upset him? Maybe he's still annoyed about Izana._

Leo broke the silence between them. "Kamui?"

"Hmm?" She glanced up at his face. She couldn't quite tell what emotion was on his face, but he didn't seem upset anymore.

"Since you've visited Izumo before, do you mind showing me your favorite spots? I don't really know my way around here still," Leo said.

The question caught her off guard. "Oh, sure. Why don't we go outside? I can show you the gardens. I'll admit that I am a little tired of being indoors all day. Some fresh air would be good…" She trailed off when she realized that she was just rambling.

"You know, you don't have to sit in the library with me all day," Leo reminded her.

"I know. But it's our honeymoon, so we should spend time together," Kamui said quietly. "Or do you not want to spend time with me?" She was ashamed that tears started to form in her eyes. _It's a political marriage, so we really don't need to spend time together…_

Leo seemed shocked by her question. "What? No, Kamui that's not it at all. I- I like being with you. I just don't want you to feel obligated to be with me. I know I'm not always the most pleasant person to be around."

Kamui was sad that he thought that of himself. She stopped and faced him. She cupped his face in her hands. "Leo, I _want_ to spend time with you." She smiled softly. "You're a good person, and I do like being with you, even if I might not always show it. So please don't doubt yourself."

She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him, leaning into him.

He pulled her closer to him and wrapped her in his warm embrace. She could feel his heart pounding in his chest.

Kamui pulled away, and her eyes widened. "Oh, we probably shouldn't do that in the middle of the hallway. Sorry."

Leo pressed his lips to her forehead. "Don't apologize," he murmured. "You haven't done anything wrong. Kamui, I…" he trailed off.

"Hmm?"

Leo's expression was soft, and his cheeks were flushed. "Let's go see those gardens you were talking about," he suggested. "And whatever else you want to do. I'm at your disposal today."

Kamui smiled up at him and grabbed his hand. "Alright, if you insist. Don't complain about this though."

"I think as long as no tickling is involved, I should be just fine."

"Aw, that was totally my plan for the afternoon." Kamui pouted.

Leo flicked her nose playfully. "Oh I'm sure you have some backup plans in that pretty little head of yours."

Kamui smirked. "More games with Izana, then?"

"Gods, no," Leo groaned. "Surely you have something better in mind."

Kamui grinned as she led the way to the gardens. "Oh, I'll just surprise you, then. But, I have to forewarn you: we'll most likely being playing games and dining with Izana again this evening. That's just how things go around here."

"Ugh…"


	8. Journey to Nohr

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The honeymoon has come to an end, and Leo and Kamui return to Nohr.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Life is crazy busy for me right now, but I managed to post the next chapter on time. Yay! There's a lot of awkwardness and fluff in this chapter (again), so you've been forewarned.

Before Kamui knew it, their honeymoon was over, and it was time to leave Izumo. She'd actually really enjoyed it in the end. Leo was naturally a more reserved person, but he'd seemed to warm up to her during their time together.

He still was obviously not fond of their host, who continued to drop by at inconvenient times. Leo was all too eager to bid Izana farewell at the end of their stay. "Thank you, Izana, for allowing us to stay in Izumo," was the politest thing he managed to say.

"Oho! My pleasure," Izana said brightly. "Do come again soon, and bring that little sister of yours, too. There's some games I have that I think she'd _love_ to play." Izana had heard several times from Leo how Elise would enjoy visiting Izana. (Not that Leo himself had enjoyed it.)

Izana gasped. "Oh, and don't forget to use your fertility charms!" he shouted, within earshot of anyone on the castle grounds. "You'll have a little one before you know it, if you do."

Now it was Kamui's turn to get frustrated with their host. She felt her cheeks burning at the thought of what he was implying. "Yes, we'll keep that in mind," she said sharply. "But please let _us_ decide when the time for that is."

"Oh, but I have premonitions about the future, so I might know more than you think I do," Izana hinted.

Kamui shuddered at the thought of Izana knowing when they'd have children. _No one is telling me when I'm having children. That is strictly between Leo and me… Children?! We've only been married a week- why am I thinking about children all of a sudden?!_

For a split second, Kamui had a mental image of her holding her infant in her arms. The baby was warm and soft, beautiful… Kamui pushed such thoughts out of her head. _No, I shouldn't be fantasizing about this._ But now that the thought had entered her mind, she couldn't easily get the image of her potential baby out of her head.

"Well, keep your premonitions to yourself in this matter," Leo snapped. _Izana just knows how to push all of his buttons, it seems._

Kamui was in agreement with Leo, but she wanted to leave on a good note with Izana. "Leo, be polite," she muttered.

She turned back to Izana. "We'll take our leave of you now. Thank you, once again, for your hospitality."

And with that, Leo and Kamui were finally free of Izana's overbearing attention.

Their coachman was a dark-haired Nohrian of medium build named Tennyson. Kamui could sense that the poor man was terribly nervous being around them, probably because they were royalty.

She flashed him a bright smile. "We're ready to leave, Tennyson. Thank you for driving the carriage."

Tennyson bowed his head respectfully. "M-my pleasure, milady. Please let me know if there's anything I can do to make you more comfortable."

"I'll make sure to do that. And if you need anything, please let us know."

"Of course," he stuttered. He went to finish preparing the horses.

Kamui sighed in relief after she and Leo were in the privacy of the carriage.

"Already planning on falling asleep on me again?" Leo asked as he sat next to her.

"Mm… maybe," Kamui mumbled, resting her head on his shoulder.

He wrapped his arm around her. It felt so natural to her now. "What, did you not sleep well last night?" he asked. "The day just started."

Kamui had felt tense with nerves all of last night and this morning. Today she would arrive in Nohr and begin her new life there as Prince Leo's wife. She was excited, but also terribly nervous. And she felt even more jittery after Izana had brought up the subject of children again. She realized that her hands were trembling ever so slightly.

"I'm just really nervous," she admitted. "I don't sleep well when something is on my mind, so no, I did not sleep well last night."

Of course Leo asked the obvious follow-up question. "What's on your mind? If you don't want to talk about it, don't feel obligated-"

"No, I don't mind talking about it," Kamui cut him off. She glanced up at him. "Are you sure you want to listen to all this? There is a _lot_ on my mind right now."

"Well, it's not like we have an entire day stuck in a carriage to talk about it," Leo remarked dryly. Then more seriously, he said, "I'd be happy to listen if you want to talk, but you don't have to."

Kamui giggled softly. "Admit it: you're curious. Maybe I don't know you super well yet, but I at least know that it kills you if you don't know something."

"You're making it sound like this is some sort of game."

"Well… am I wrong?"

Leo's fingers idly played with her curls. "No," he admitted. "But I do respect your privacy."

Kamui felt her heart start to beat faster in her chest. _He's just touching my hair; there's no reason for me to react like this._

The couple sat in silence for several minutes. Leo continued to play with her hair; he was probably waiting for her to speak again, but her mind couldn't function properly with him doing that. She shivered involuntarily when his fingers brushed against the back of her neck.

Leo instantly withdrew his hand. "Sorry," he muttered, clearly embarrassed.

"It's okay," she said. She winced when she heard the trembling in her voice.

Even after their discussion in the library the other day, this exchange had been going on for the whole week now. Kamui was okay with some of his displays of affection, but there were certain points when it got to be a bit much for her. She tried to hide it, but she couldn't always control her immediate reactions. He'd apologize, as if it was all his fault, then would be extra cautious around her the rest of the day. It was a cycle that Kamui knew neither of them were comfortable with. She just wished she knew how to stop it.

Leo cleared his throat nervously. "Kamui, if you don't want me to touch you like that, just say so." He'd been very patient with her trepidation around him, but Kamui sensed that he was starting to get annoyed with it.

The worst part was that she couldn't blame him for how he felt. She was his wife now, so he should be free to do… things with her. She was the one being the problem.

"I'm s-" Kamui stopped herself. That was another thing. Leo told her that she apologized too much. So now she was trying to overcome the habit.

She tried again. "I'm not sure how I feel about it, so not for now."

"As you wish," was Leo's reply.

_And… here's another awkward silence… What is wrong with me today?_

"You know, I think I might actually try to sleep for a little bit," she decided. "I'm not thinking very clearly right now."

"Alright."

Kamui wanted to rest her head in his lap, like she'd do on long trips with her siblings. _Except Leo isn't my sibling, so I don't know how that will come across. I suppose it doesn't hurt to ask._

She pulled away from him so she could read his face expressions. "Leo?"

Leo met her gaze calmly, as if she hadn't just made things awkward between them again. "Yes?"

Kamui's face grew warm. "May I rest my head in your lap?" she managed to blurt out.

Leo's eyes widened slightly before he controlled his expression again. "You may," he answered.

"Thanks." Kamui curled up on the seat, laying her head in Leo's lap and closing her eyes. _He's warm…_ Kamui felt vulnerable doing this, but she felt safe with Leo. Maybe sometimes his nearness made her nervous, but she trusted him to watch over her while she slept.

"Are you cold, Kamui? You're trembling," Leo noted.

"Mm… maybe a little," she mumbled. She wasn’t sure if she was cold or if it was her nerves again.

Leo draped a blanket over her. "Is that better?" he asked.

"Yeah…Thank you," she mumbled.

Even with the movement of the carriage, Kamui was tired enough that she eventually dozed off.

* * *

 

Leo had learned a lot about his new wife during the last week together. For instance, she was fond of over sleeping in the mornings. Half of the time, she got up after noon. Leo couldn't help but wonder what she was staying up so late doing. He couldn't fathom Kamui going to bed at a reasonable time and then sleeping for half of the day.

And that was just one of her many idiosyncrasies. Aside from her tickling attacks (which she'd stopped at his request) and running around barefoot all of the time, she liked to sing to herself when she thought no one was listening. On the one rainy day, she dragged Leo outside to play in the rain. And of course, she seemed able to take a nap basically anywhere.

Leo had decided by this point that Kamui just always slept in carriages. She'd slept on their journey to Izumo, and now she was sleeping on the journey to Nohr. She was breathing deeply, so Leo knew she was fast asleep now.

Today she wore a light pink gown, patterned more after a Nohrian style, rather than the Hoshidan dresses she normally wore. Leo suspected that Elise had picked it out for her before the wedding. (If Camilla or Charlotte had picked out a dress, it would certainly not be this modest.) It was different, seeing her in Nohrian clothing, but Kamui still looked as lovely as ever.

He contemplated playing with her soft hair again, but thought better of it. It seemed that was one of the things that she was not okay with. Even after discussing this several times, Leo still was at a loss as to what things he should and shouldn't do with her. He did wish she could just give him a list of what was okay to do with her, but people were more complicated than that, especially women. Sometimes she was fine, and at other times, she'd freeze up, and Leo knew that he had crossed a line. It seemed like that line changed every day, though.

Leo sighed. This was most likely the last time he'd have a break for a while. He could only imagine the welcoming they'd get tonight at home. Camilla and Elise would definitely be waiting up for them. And well, Niles was Leo's retainer, so he'd be there, too. Leo figured Xander wouldn't bother to be there, but Charlotte would probably make him. And Azura just kept to herself normally, but she was Kamui's cousin, so she'd most likely be there, too. And Queen Arete was her aunt, so she'd wait up for them as well. At this point, Leo wouldn't be too surprised if Father took the time to greet them, too. Or even the entire court.

One thing was certain: tonight was going to be complete chaos. Leo considered taking a nap as well, seeing that he probably wouldn't get to bed at a reasonable hour tonight. He decided against it, though. Sleeping in a carriage was uncomfortable, and Leo's lap had basically become Kamui's pillow, so he was kind of stuck.

Leo had managed to finish all of the books he'd brought, but Kamui had lent him one of her books, entitled _Promises Under the Cherry Blossoms_. It was a romance novel, which was not a genre Leo usually read, but he agreed to read it, since she'd insisted. (Also, he wasn't one to turn down a book just because of its genre.)

He pulled out the novel and continued reading about the nauseatingly sappy love story. Some of the lines were so ridiculous, that Leo had to smile in amusement. Seriously, did any man actually tell his lover things like "I won't sleep just so I can watch you sleep tonight"? Or did women tell their significant others things such as "I can't breathe without you"?

Well, Leo had never been in love, so he wouldn't know from personal experience. It all sounded like a bunch of rubbish to him, though. Honestly, who in their right mind would stay up all night just to watch someone sleep? (So maybe Leo didn't _mind_ watching Kamui sleep, but doing it all night would get boring after a while. And he didn't know about this fictional character, but Leo needed his rest.) And he couldn't even imagine Kamui telling him that she couldn't breathe without him. That sounded just a little too clingy. (No personal space would drive Leo crazy.)

After a while, Kamui stirred and blinked up at him with those crimson eyes.

Leo realized with a start that he had been absentmindedly stroking her hair again. He pulled his hand away, since she probably would not appreciate him doing that.

"Good evening, sleepy head," he told her.

Kamui's eyes widened. "It's already evening? Don't tell me I slept all day!"

"Okay, I won't."

Kamui sat up and peeked out the window, the bright daylight blatantly obvious. "Leo, you're the worst," she groaned.

Leo snickered. "Sorry. I actually wouldn't be surprised if you managed to sleep all day."

Kamui moved closer to him. "You know, it's times like this when you deserve to be tickled." She grinned wickedly. "Should I inflict your punishment on you?"

Leo couldn't escape since he was trapped in the carriage with her, but he still scooted away from her. "Kamui, we're in a moving carriage. I hardly think this is a reasonable place for you to do whatever you're scheming."

Kamui giggled. "You're scared of me." She moved even closer to him, so that she was almost sitting in his lap. "Admit it." Her eyes sparkled like rubies.

_Gods, she's beautiful._

Leo cursed himself for blushing. He was tempted to pull her against him, to kiss her, and caress her, but he knew that would just make her uncomfortable again. As it was, he couldn't stop himself from running his fingers softly across her cheek.

Her breath caught, and her eyes widened ever so slightly, but she didn't pull away from him. Her full lips were parted, inviting him to press his lips against hers and...

"Leo?" she whispered, bringing him back to reality.

"Ah, sorry, I got distracted for a moment," was Leo's hurried excuse for staring at her again like an idiot from that romance novel. He cleared his throat nervously. "I, uh, started reading that book you lent me."

She finally got out of his personal space. Not that he minded her closeness, but it was terribly distracting sometimes.

She grinned. "Really? What do you think so far?"

"Well… have your brothers read this book as well?"

"Well, no… but you said you ran out of things to read, and that's what I had with me," Kamui said defensively. "It's okay if you don't like the book. I know it's mostly for teenage girl audiences."

"I'd have to agree with you there. As a grown man, I think it's complete rubbish," Leo blurted out before he could stop himself.

Her smile faded. _Oops._ "That's okay. I know it can be a little silly at times." She blushed and looked away. "I guess it helped me feel not so lonely when I was younger. Hinoka was dating Subaki, and I had no one." Her voice was quiet now.

Leo rested his hand on top of hers. "Kamui… I don't want you to feel lonely anymore." He swallowed. "I know that this isn't what you'd hoped for in a relationship, but I promise I'll do my best to make you happy." _Ugh. Now I sound like the male lead in her book… But I mean every word of it._

Kamui met his gaze and smiled gently. "I know. A political marriage wasn't what I had in mind growing up, but I think I lucked out with you." She gave his hand a reassuring squeeze and giggled. "I mean, not just any man would willing read a romance novel, if his wife asked him to. Even if you don't like it, do you plan on finishing it?"

"Of course. I always finish any book that I start." Leo was slightly offended that she didn't think he would finish the book. "And I have enjoyed some parts, I suppose, so it's not too awful," Leo admitted.

Kamui laughed. "You're just saying that to be polite. Don't feel obligated to finish the book on my account."

Leo arched an eyebrow. "Are you saying that you don't think I could manage finishing one romance novel? Challenge accepted, then. And for the record, I have been completely candid about my opinion on the book. Some of these lines are so sappy that they're humorous." He raised a finger. "However, don't expect me to speak to you like that. And I'm not going to say up all night just to watch you sleep, just so we're clear," he added.

Kamui giggled. "Yeah, that would be kind of weird. And a little creepy, now that I think about it."

Her expression brightened. "Hey, I know! I can read one of your books, since you're reading mine. How about that book on women's anatomy? It sounds pretty interesting actually."

Why did she have to bring _that_ book up? Leo regretted ever having it in her presence. She'd probably just think he was a big pervert after she read the book, since it was quite… detailed.

He didn't have a good reason to refuse her request, though. "If you insist." He pulled it out of his bag. "Its plot isn't nearly as… exciting as your book's plot."

Kamui grabbed the book eagerly. "Well, it is a scientific book, so that's no shocker." She snuggled closer to him. "Thank you." To Leo's surprise, she kissed his cheek. "You're the best."

"I thought you said I was the worst earlier."

"Oh, hush. Stop talking and let me read."

* * *

 

After an hour of quiet reading, Kamui was still on the second chapter of the anatomy book, which happened to be about breastfeeding, of all things. The subject was interesting, but slightly uncomfortable to read about. _That's probably why Leo was trying to hide it from me. Why on earth did Leo even read this book? It's not like he'll ever be breastfeeding… I'd be the one doing that… Wait, what am I thinking? It's_ way _too early to be thinking about that._

"I'm finished," Leo said abruptly, closing _Promises Under the Cherry Blossoms._

Kamui was grateful for the excuse to take a break from _Anatomy of Women_. She set the book aside; she'd finish it later, maybe. "So, what did you think?" she asked.

Leo stretched his arms above his head, then put his arm around her shoulders. "It was… enlightening, I suppose," he said slowly.

Kamui stifled an unladylike snort. "Enlightening? Are you sure we're talking about the same novel? I'm quite aware that it's a trashy romance novel. I'd hardly consider it enlightening."

"Well, trashy romance novels aren't something I normally read, so it was enlightening to read something from that genre, just so I know what it's like," Leo clarified. "But the story itself was hardly enlightening. I knew from the first chapter that Aya would end up with Rei in the end. And the dialogue? Ridiculous… but sort of amusing. It's not the worst thing I've ever read."

"Thank you for that profound book review, Professor Leo. Perhaps I'll have you review all of my other trashy romance novels…" she teased.

"I'd prefer not to. I think one is enough for me."

The thought of making Leo read another one of her romance novels was amusing. She moved in closer to him and pouted. "But what if I insist? Please?"

His breath caught, and his checks were flushed. He seemed at a loss for words for some reason. "I… uh…" He swallowed. "I'll consider it."

Kamui giggled. "Really? I was only teasing, you know."

Leo glanced away. "Yes, I know." He sighed and met her gaze again. "Enough about that. How do you find your book?"

Kamui shifted away from him and looked at her lap, instead of him. "It's interesting, to say the least," she began. She suddenly felt too hot. "Wait, do you actually want to talk about _breastfeeding_ with me?" she blurted out. She blushed furiously.

"What?! No, of course not," Leo gasped.

Kamui forced herself to look at him again. His face was bright red like a tomato.

"Why did you read it, then?" Kamui tucked one of her curls behind her ear nervously. "You're a man, Leo, so you wouldn't be breastfeeding our kids…" She clamped a hand over her mouth. _Did I just say_ our _kids? It's only on my mind because everyone keeps bringing it up._

Leo turned even redder, if that was possible. "I know that. I'm not an idiot, Kamui," he snapped. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I like to be informed on a variety of subjects. Is there anything wrong with that?" Kamui couldn't tell if he was actually angry with her or just horribly embarrassed.

"No, there's nothing wrong with that," she said. "It's just surprising, is all. I do agree that it's important to be well versed about a variety of topics." She touched his hand tentatively. "I'm sorry if I upset you."

Leo sighed and opened his eyes again. "No, I'm sorry for even reading that stupid book. You probably think I'm such a disgrace." He grimaced.

Kamui felt sad to hear him talk about himself like that. She reached up and cupped his cheek in her hand, turning him to face her. "Leo, you are _not_ a disgrace. Please don't say that about yourself." 

She gave him an awkward hug, seeing that they were sitting next to each other in a moving carriage. "I'm the one who reads trashy romances, so who am I to talk? At least you're seeking knowledge and trying to learn about something."

Leo hesitated before returning her hug. "You're too kind, Kamui."

"And you're too smart, Leo."

"Hmm, I don't think there's such a thing as being too smart," Leo countered. "Now, if you're too kind, people might take advantage of your kind heart."

"I'm not sure if you're trying to compliment me or insult me," Kamui noted, pulling out of his embrace.

"I'd like to think of it as compliment with a warning," Leo explained. "Your kindness is one of your greatest qualities, Kamui, but I don't want other people to hurt you because of that." He paused for a second. "I don't know exactly what the Hoshidan court is like, but the Nohrian court is pretty vicious. There are plenty of nobles that wouldn't hesitate to use you for their own purposes."

Kamui frowned. "You're saying that you don't think I could handle it?"

"I  just want you to be on your guard." Leo placed his hands on her shoulders and forced her to meet his fervent gaze. "Just promise me that you'll be careful about who you trust, Kamui." His grip tightened on her shoulders.

_He's really concerned about this._ Kamui felt a sinking feeling in her gut. "I promise… but I'll need your help in adjusting to the Nohrian court. You need to tell me who is trustworthy, who your enemies are… everything."

Leo nodded. "I'll make sure that Camilla fills you in as well. She's more knowledgeable about the happenings of the court than I am. I tend to keep to myself, to be honest."

"Well, could I just do that initially? Keep to myself?" Kamui asked. She was still adjusting to being married and moving to a new country. She didn't need the extra stress of integrating into the Nohrian court, if she could avoid it for now.

"If only," Leo murmured. "But that won't be an option for you, I'm afraid. First off, you are a princess of Hoshido, so you'll be sought out for political reasons. And not everyone in Nohr is friendly to Hoshido. Actually, I'd say most of the court is not in favor of our marriage. Second, I am the second prince of Nohr and third in line for the throne, so people will try to use you to get through to me, since you're my wife. And there a lot of nobles that make a lifestyle out of manipulating others as a way of gaining power. I could keep going on, but I think you get the picture."

"Yeah... Thanks for the heads up," Kamui said solemnly.

"Of course. I'm not just going to throw my wife to the sharks and leave her to fend for herself."

Kamui laughed softly. "Well, that's reassuring. But in all seriousness, thank you for looking out for me. That's very sweet of you."

Leo flushed and glanced away. "Do me a favor and don't call me sweet in front of anyone, okay?"

Kamui grinned. "But I'm just stating the truth. What's wrong with that?"

Leo ran his long fingers through his hair. "Well, it's not good for my image as a Nohrian prince, and it's not true, so-"

On impulse, Kamui tilted her head up and licked his cheek.

Leo actually jumped at that. "Agh! Kamui, what are you doing?!" He rubbed the spot her wet tongue had touched.

Kamui's heart was racing as she realized how _stupid_ she was acting. Her reasoning for licking him was pretty pathetic. She'd wanted to prove to him that of course he was sweet. _What, were you going to tell him? That he_ tastes _sweet? No one wants to be licked._ Her face reddened as she thought about how flawed that logic was.

"Sorry, that was dumb," she gasped. "I wasn't thinking straight." She scooted as far away from him as she could and pushed back the curtain to look out the window.

The scenery outside was mountainous and rocky. The skies were clear and a lovely shade of blue. There wasn't a whole lot of shrubbery besides small plants trying to grow through the cracks in the rocks. It wasn't anything like the lush Hoshidan landscape. They must be in Nohr now.

"I think we should stop for lunch soon," Kamui stated, breaking the awkward silence that had settled between them again. "I'm hungry."

"Oh, so is _that_ why you licked me? Am I to be your lunch then?"

Kamui gave him a dirty look. "Ew, gross!" She shuddered. "The thought hadn't even crossed my mind until _you_ brought it up."

Leo was smirking again. "Sorry, but you set yourself up for that one. Just be glad Niles wasn't here for any of that. I shudder to think what he'd say. Word to the wise: be careful what you say around my retainer; he has a tendency to point out the more… obscene things in a situation."

"So I've noticed," Kamui remarked dryly. "I'm still going to ask Tennyson if we can take a break."

She moved to the opposite seat and slid open the small hatch to talk to their coachman.

"Tennyson, how are things going for you?" she asked.

The young coachman glanced back at her, slightly startled. "Oh, Lady Kamui, things are going just fine."

"Is it okay if we stop for a lunch break? I bet you and the horses could also use a rest." Kamui wanted to lighten his load. "If I could, I would take over for a bit so you could have a break."

"Of course, milady," Tennyson replied, then he flushed. "Well, I meant about stopping for lunch, that is. It isn't really proper for a princess to drive the coach anyway." He gasped. "Oh, Lady Kamui, please forgive me. I didn't mean to be rude to you."

Kamui laughed. "I don't think you were rude. You were just stating the truth. I wouldn't know what to do, so letting me drive the coach would be a very bad idea. I'm willing to learn, though."

Tennyson didn't seem to know how to respond to that. Kamui felt bad; she wasn't trying to put him on the spot.

Fortunately for him, Leo cut in. "As entertaining as it would be to watch you lead the horses, I do want to get home at a somewhat reasonable hour tonight."

Kamui spared her husband a glance. "Fine, I'll wait until later to have my lessons. But I do want you to teach me, Tennyson."

Tennyson guided the horses to the edge of the road and reined them to a stop. "If it pleases you, milady," was his polite reply.

Kamui opened the carriage door and hopped out before Tennyson even got off the coachbox. She wiggled her toes in the dirt, glad to get out of that stuffy carriage.

The poor coachman paled. "Lady Kamui, I'm so sorry. I should have helped you out," he began.

She waved him off. "Don't worry about it. We're all friends and fellow travelers anyway. So, what can we do to help you?"

His jaw dropped. "N-nothing, milady. I'm the one that's supposed to serve you," he stammered.

"Just give her something to do, Tennyson," Leo remarked, as he climbed out of the carriage. The dirt crunched under his boots. "It's easier than trying to talk any reason into her."

"I _am_ being reasonable, Leo," Kamui insisted. "What's wrong with helping out a little?"

"Nothing. However, I don't think there's much you could do while wearing that dress," Leo replied. "You probably don't want to arrive in Nohr covered in dirt and grime. That wouldn't make a very good first impression, dear." He looked pointedly down at Kamui's bare feet, which were already caked in dirt.

Kamui flushed a little. He did have a point, but she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of admitting he was right.

She turned back to Tennyson, but he had already laid out a blanket and placed their lunch of rice cakes and strawberries on it. She sighed. "Well, at least let us help clean up afterwards."

"As you wish, Lady Kamui," was the coachman's only reply.

"Wait, 'us'?" Leo interjected.

Kamui turned back to her husband with a sly smile. "Yes, you're going to help out with the chores as well, _dear._ "

* * *

 

It was late at night when they finally arrived at Castle Krakenburg. Kamui had fallen asleep again, and her head was resting in Leo's lap. Leo didn't want to wake her because it had been a long day for all of them, but he knew that at least some of his family was expecting them. If he didn't wake her now, while they were still en route, someone else was bound to.

He shook her shoulder. "Kamui, we're home," he murmured.

She moaned in her sleep, but her eyes remained closed.

Leo sighed. This was going to be more difficult than he'd expected. He pulled her up into a sitting position. "Kamui, you need to wake up." He spoke a little louder, but he didn't really want to shout at her.

Her head lolled against his shoulder, and she groaned. "W-what?" she mumbled. She blinked up at him with sleepy eyes. Her bewildered expression was kind of cute.

"We're finally home, at Castle Krakenburg," Leo repeated.

She collapsed against him again. "I just want to sleep, Leo," she mumbled into his chest.

Leo wrapped his arms around her, holding her closer to him. "I know, but you can't spend the night in the carriage."

She mumbled something incoherent.

"Sorry, but I don't understand gibberish, Kamui."

"Carry me?" she whispered.

Leo rolled his eyes. "No. You're perfectly capable of walking, Kamui."

"Please?"

Leo ignored her plea. "Come on, let's get you to bed." He moved her out of his lap, so he could at least get up.

The carriage stopped, and a few moments later, Tennyson opened the door. He bowed politely. "Milord and milady, welcome home."

Leo had barely exited the carriage, when he was suddenly attacked by a blur of pink. Elise crashed into him, pulling him into a tight embrace. "Leo! You're back! You're back!"

"Elise, I can't breathe," Leo gasped. When she hugged him, it felt like she was trying to squeeze him in half.

"But I'm so happy to see you again," his little sister squealed. To Leo's relief, she let go of him, and he could finally breathe again.

Leo took a deep breath to make up for the momentary loss of air. "You don't have to crush my ribcage to tell me that."

Elise snorted. "You're so weird. I would never do that to my favorite big brother named Leo."

Leo rolled his eyes. "I'm your _only_ big brother named Leo."

Elise grinned up at him. "That's why you're my favorite one!"

She turned towards Kamui, who was still seated in the carriage. "Big Sister Kamui! I'm so glad you're finally here!" She climbed into the coach and embraced her sister-in-law. "I hope Leo wasn't too annoying for you."

Leo's attention was diverted by another set of warm arms that embraced him from behind. "C-Camilla, not you, too," he groaned.

Camilla chuckled. "It's good to see you, too, darling. But you look absolutely exhausted."

"Hm. I wonder why that could be?" Niles mused with a knowing smile. "Did you two have fun on the honeymoon, Lord Leo?"

Leo flushed at his implications. "I don't see why that's any of your business, Niles."

"It was an innocent question," Niles remarked. Leo knew it was anything but that.

"Yeah, right, Niles," Charlotte interjected. "We all know what you're insinuating."

"Everyone, give them some space," Xander said, approaching the rest of his family. Leo mouthed him a thank you.

Elise had pulled Kamui out of the carriage and paused in whatever she was saying. "Sorry, Big Brother. We're just so excited they're home!"

Leo groaned. "We were only gone one week. That's not very much time." He actually would have been fine spending more time away from home, just not with Izana.

Azura embraced Kamui gently. "Let's get you to bed, cousin. You look so tired."

"A little," Kamui murmured. Well, that was the biggest understatement ever. She was practically falling asleep while standing up.

Eventually, Leo's siblings escorted them to their suite. After his sisters had shown Kamui her rooms, they finally left Leo and Kamui alone in her sitting room.

She leaned against her bedroom door and giggled into her hands.

"What's so funny?" Leo mumbled. He was too exhausted to really interact with anyone else tonight, even his wife.

Kamui shook her head. "Sorry, it's just I didn't expect _all_ of your brothers and sisters to wait up for us. I'm surprised Elise didn't make us play games with her, like Izana did when we got to Izumo."

"Just wait until tomorrow. I don't think Elise is going to let you sleep in," Leo commented wryly.

"Well, I should get to bed, then." Kamui wrapped her arms around Leo and gently embraced him. "Goodnight, Leo."

"Goodnight, Kamui."

Leo watched her enter her bedroom before returning to his own. He was asleep the instant his head hit the pillow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I got the names Aya and Rei from my Japanese coworkers (although they are not dating each other in real life.) I figured since _Promises Under the Cherry Blossoms_ is a Hoshidan romance novel, I should use Japanese names for the fictional characters. (And no, I did not tell my coworkers that I named fictional characters in a fanfic after them.)
> 
> Anyway, I'm almost done with the semester (finally!), so I might be able to post the next chapter before May 15th. (Well, after finals, moving home, and surgery, of course.) We'll have to see, though. I can't promise anything.
> 
> Thanks for reading!
> 
> (Oh, and if you find dumb typos, please let me know! I read through my stuff, but sometimes I miss things.)


	9. Lady of the Court

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After arriving in Nohr, Kamui is presented to the royal court.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the next chapter, ahead of schedule. Don't worry; I'm still planning on posting on the 15th as well. As usual, thanks for reading! I can't believe this silly fic has so many kudos! Thank you for those who are still sticking with this.

Kamui was disoriented when she woke up in her bed in Nohr for the first time. The mattress was higher off the floor than she was used to, but it was so comfortable that she didn't want to get out bed. She closed her eyes and snuggled into the blankets again.

_There isn't anything important going on today; I can sleep in just a little longer._

As if to prove her wrong, there was a light knock at the door to Kamui's sitting room.

She sat up and pushed her tangled hair out of her face. "Come in," she called.

A pink-haired maid entered the room with a tray of tea in her hands. "Good morning, Lady Kamui. I'm your new maid," she said.

Kamui smiled at her. "Good morning to you, too. What is your name?"

The maid gasped, and the tray shook in her hands "Oh, I'm so sorry for not introducing myself properly, milady. I'm Felicia and I'm from the Ice Tribe south of here."

Kamui waved away the apology. Why were all of the servants around here on edge? "It's good to meet you, Felicia." She stifled a yawn. "I should probably get up, shouldn't I?"

"Well, I'm here to help you, if you- whoa!" Felicia had started to walk over to the bed, but her foot caught on the rug and she fell on the floor. The teapot went flying and crashed on the bed. Hot liquid seeped into the blue comforter.

Kamui hoped out of bed and crouched next to the maid. "Are you all right, Felicia?" She helped Felicia get to her feet again.

"I-I'm  all right," she stuttered, as she straightened her uniform. "Lady Kamui, I'm so sorry that I spilled tea on you. I beg for your forgiveness for my clumsiness."

"Felicia, I'm just glad that you're okay," Kamui said gently. "The bedding can be washed, and the floor can be cleaned up. And I'm sure that there are plenty of tea sets in the castle, so it's no big deal. Accidents happen."

Felicia sighed and hung her head. "Accidents seem to happen to me more often than other people." She met Kamui's gaze with wide blue eyes. "But I do want to be a good maid, Lady Kamui."

Kamui smiled at her maid. "I'm glad to hear that. You seem to be a very dedicated and kind person, Felicia. I'm glad you're my maid."

Felicia's cheeks went pink. "You're just as kind as everyone has been saying. Thank you for being so nice to me."

"You're welcome." Kamui's smiled faded. "But you mentioned rumors about me? What are people saying?" She shouldn't be surprised that she was a subject of gossip around the castle, but she hoped it wasn't too cruel.

Felicia started picking up the shattered tea set on the floor. She placed the pieces on the tray. "Are you sure you want to listen to gossip about yourself?"

Kamui knelt next to the other girl and helped mop up the tea  with a cloth. "Yes, I think it would be beneficial to know what people here think of me."

"Well, they say that you are the kindest Hoshidan and are an absolute sweetheart," Felicia said. "Also, that you are a rare beauty."

Kamui felt her face growing warm. "D-do they really?"

"Mhm."

"Well, I'm flattered, but as you can see, I'm no 'rare beauty.' I try my best to be kind to others, so I suppose that part is somewhat true," Kamui remarked. "But is that all that people are saying? Usually there's negative gossip as well."

Felicia busied herself with cleaning up the mess. "You don't need to hear that, milady. There's gossip about all of the nobles in the court, so don't worry about it."

She stood with the tray in her hands. "I'm going to take this back to the kitchens. Would you like me to bring you more tea, Lady Kamui?"

Kamui shook her head. "Before you leave, could you help me change? It seems I slept in my clothes last night." She tried to smooth out the wrinkles on her light pink gown from yesterday.

"Oh, of course. What would you like to wear today?" Felicia set down the tray and went to Kamui's closet.

Kamui joined her at the closet, which was full of dresses of all sorts of colors. "What would you recommend, Felicia? I don't really know what's in style in Nohr right now."

"Well…"

There was another knock at the door.

Kamui turned. "Come in!"

Leo entered the room, wearing a dark, formal suit. His dark amber eyes surveyed the room before they rested on Kamui. "I'm impressed, Kamui. You managed to get up before noon today." There was an undercurrent of amusement in his voice. Kamui didn't understand what was so entertaining about her sleeping habits, but Leo had made several observations about it in the last week.

Well, she thought his bluntness could be amusing at times as well. "Did you just come in here to tell me that?" Kamui inquired.

Felicia poked her head out of the closet. "Oh, should I leave now? I don't want to interrupt anything."

"Felicia, you aren't interrupting anything," Kamui told her. "If anyone is interrupting anything, it's Leo. You were here first."

She turned back to her husband, whose face was expressionless. "I'm trying to get dressed for the day, so could we talk after I change?"

His cheeks reddened ever so slightly, and he glanced away. "Well, that's what I need to talk to you about."

Kamui raised an eyebrow. "Getting dressed? I'm afraid I don't follow."

"Father wants you to be presented to the court this afternoon, so you'll need to wear something formal for that," he explained. "But wear whatever you like for now. I'm sure my sisters are dying to help pick out your outfit for the afternoon."

He noticed the tea spill on her bed. "What happened here? It's still damp."

"Oh, I just spilled my tea this morning," Kamui answered. "It's no big deal." She would take the blame for the mess if it kept Felicia out of trouble.

Leo regarded her skeptically. He'd probably sensed that she wasn't being truthful. "Wait… who did you say your maid was again?"

Kamui noticed Felicia lurking in a corner of the bedroom. The poor girl looked so ashamed.

"Leo, this is Felicia. Felicia, Leo." She gestured at each of them for introductions.

Felicia quickly stepped forward and bowed. "Lord Leo, it is an honor to meet you. Um… Lady Kamui wasn't the one who spilled the tea. It was me," she admitted. "I'm terribly sorry and I promise to clean it up."

"Hm. I think we've been introduced before, Felicia," Leo remarked. "I'm not surprised that you were the one who spilled the tea. You've made plenty of messes in the past, and this won't be the last one. I'm surprised you're still employed as a maid at all."

Poor Felicia looked like she was on the verge of tears.

Kamui crossed her arms and glared at her husband. "Leo, that was rude. Apologize to Felicia."

Leo seemed confused at her request. "What for? I was merely stating a fact. I don't see why there's a problem with that." _How dense can he be? There is absolutely a problem with what he said!_

"Well, it was rude, and you upset Felicia. I personally see a problem with hurting someone's feelings. If you're going to insult my maid, you can just leave." Kamui pointed to the door.

Leo frowned. "Kamui, I think you're overreacting. It's common sense that a person should do a task suited to them. Attending you is not something Felicia is suited for-"

"That's it! Get out, now!" Kamui snapped. _That was too cruel!_

"Lady Kamui, please don't fight over me," Felicia whimpered.

Kamui froze. _Wait, are we having an argument? I didn't mean to yell at him…_

"Leo-" she began, but he was already headed out the door.

She heard him mutter something about emotional women under his breath. Then, he shut the door behind him. It was more like he slammed it, truth be told.

The silence in Kamui's bedroom was unsettling. Her heart was pounding in her chest. All she could do was stare at the door in shock. She felt sick to her stomach. She'd never, ever wanted to shout at her spouse, and now she'd definitely upset him. _Well, he's the one that started it. He has no right to speak that way about my maid. I could have handled it better, though._ She was so disappointed in herself.

Felicia was the one who eventually broke the silence. "L-Lady Kamui, are you all right?" She came over to check on her liege.

Kamui released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "I- I'll be fine," she managed to say. "Thank you for your concern, Felicia." She forced a smile. "Show me what you picked out."

"Well, to be honest, I couldn't really decide, milady. Perhaps you should have Lady Camilla help you pick something out. I can go retrieve her if you like."

Kamui nodded. "I would appreciate that, thank you."

* * *

 

"Hmm. Elise, which dress do you think complements Kamui's complexion more: the scarlet one, or the violet one?" Camilla asked, holding up the two gowns.

"Ooh… they're both so pretty," Elise sighed dreamily. "I think you should model them for us, Big Sister Kamui."

The three women were in Kamui's bedchamber. Both Camilla and Elise had come to help Kamui pick out her outfit for the court. The two sisters kept going over different options, as delighted as young girls playing dress up.

Kamui claimed she had a headache, so she wasn't feeling very energetic. It was true; after her brief argument with Leo, she'd developed a splitting headache. She laid on the bed, only offering her option when directly asked. At least the bedding was fresh. Kamui had a sneaky feeling that Elise had picked out the comforter; it was hot pink. Regardless, it was comfortable. If she wasn't careful, she could easily take a nap without meaning to.

"Kamui? Kamui, are you listening?" Camilla asked.

Kamui sat up. "Oh, sorry. What did you say?"

Elise pushed a silky scarlet gown into Kamui's arms. "We want you to try this on, Big Sister! Then, you can go back to resting. Are you sure you don't want me to use a staff to help alleviate the pain?"

Elise had offered her services as a healer multiple times, but Kamui refused each time. She wasn't actually physically ill, and she deserved to taste the bitterness of her guilt.

"I don't need a staff, Elise, but thank you. Will you both help me change into the dress?" Kamui asked quietly.

The dress was sleeveless with a v-shaped neckline that was lower than Kamui was used to. It didn't show _too_ much, though. The a-line skirt was floor-length and covered her feet, so at least she wouldn't have to wear shoes. Small roses had been embroidered into the skirt of the gown. The scarlet gloves were made of the same material as the dress and came up to her elbows. It was perfectly tailored to fit Kamui's body.

Elise squealed in delight. "Kamui, you are so _gorgeous_!"

"Oh, it's so lovely on you," Camilla cooed. "The color really brings out your eyes."

"Camilla, did you get my measurements before I moved here?" Kamui wondered.

" _That's_ all you can say about this dress?" Camilla asked. "I think this one is a no go, Elise."

"What? No, that's not what I meant. It really is a beautiful dress," Kamui stated, turning to see herself in the mirror. "I was just wondering is all."

"It is a beautiful dress _on you_ ," Camilla emphasized. "And to answer your question, I got your measurements from Queen Mikoto just after you and Leo got engaged."

"Oh. That makes sense. Did you have all of these dresses made for me? They're all so beautiful," Kamui noted.

Camilla chuckled. "Yes, dear. Consider it a wedding gift for both of you from me."

Kamui frowned. "But they're only for me, unless you had dresses made for Leo as well."

Elise giggled. "I'd love to see someone try to get him into a dress."

Camilla just smiled knowingly. "Oh, I think Leo can appreciate the dresses as well, dear, especially if you're the one wearing them. After all, you are a very attractive young lady. And I've seen the way my brother looks at you."

Kamui didn't need to look in the mirror to know that her face was burning up. If she understood correctly, then Camilla was saying that… No, she wouldn't think about that.

"Big Sister, your face is almost the color of the dress!" Elise exclaimed.

Kamui hid her face in her hands. "Wasn't there another dress you wanted me to try on?"

"Yep! It's a dark violet one," Elise replied cheerfully.

This dress was strapless with a low sweetheart neckline. It was made of a soft material that Kamui didn't recognize. At least it was also floor-length, so she could forgo shoes. She didn't like how she could see her bosom rising and falling with her every breath; it brought more attention to her chest than she was comfortable with.

Of course, Camilla and Elise thought it was stunning on her.

"Um… it is also very lovely," Kamui said. "I think I'd rather wear the red one, though."

Camilla chuckled. "Alright, darling. The red one it is, then."

* * *

 

Kamui wished she'd made up with Leo before being presented to the court. She would have felt better knowing that he was supporting her or, at the very least, that he wasn't upset with her. Well, it was too late for that now, since the royal court was already in session, so everyone would already be in the throne room.

Everyone except for Kamui, that was. Her presentation to the court was somewhere on the daily agenda for the court, so she would have to just wait for now. She sat in a plush chair in an antechamber. Felicia wasn't supposed to attend to the matters involving the court, since she was a maid, so a butler named Jakob was charged with escorting her to the correct places at the correct times.

Jakob was tall and dignified. He wore his long silver hair in a low ponytail, and his purple and gray uniform was in perfect condition. _He'd probably get along well with Subaki,_ Kamui mused. _I wonder how everyone is doing back home…_

"Milady," Jakob interrupted her thoughts. "Would you like a cup of tea while you wait? It is my own special brew, which I have refined over the years. It might help soothe the nerves."

Kamui sighed. "Is it that obvious that I'm nervous?" she muttered.

Jakob's lips twitched in the hint of a smile. "Perhaps a little, but that is to be expected. My offer for tea still stands."

Kamui flashed him a thankful smile. "Yes, please. I would love some tea."

Jakob bowed. "I live to serve. I shall return with your tea in a few moments."

"Thank you, Jakob."

She watched the butler leave through a side door, then observed the other people waiting in the antechamber. There was a variety of people. Some of them were noblemen. Others were townsfolk and peasants come with petitions for the king. Kamui couldn't help but feel that she stuck out like a sore thumb in her scarlet gown. _Well, Camilla and Elise told me I should wear this, so it should be fine._ Camilla also insisted on Kamui wearing red lipstick and black eyeliner, which seemed a little over the top to her. At least she could keep her hair down and wear her black headband.

An older couple approached her. The man was dressed in a gray suit, and the woman wore a lavender dress. By the way they held themselves, Kamui knew that they were definitely not peasants. The man gave her a slight bow, and the woman a tiny curtsy.

"Milady, do I have the pleasure of addressing Princess Kamui?" the man asked politely.

Kamui nodded. "Yes, I am Princess Kamui." She remembered to smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you, sir-"

"My name is simply Theo, and my wife is Emma. I have not been knighted, so there is no need to address me as 'sir'," he explained politely.

"Oh. Well, may I help you with something?"

His wife spoke up. "We wanted to congratulate you on your marriage to Prince Leo, milady. That's a very brave thing you've done. We just wanted to tell you that we appreciate what you're doing." She smiled softly at Kamui.

Kamui returned the smile bashfully. "Thank you, Emma and Theo. I appreciate your kindness. Would you like to tell me more about yourselves? I'm still learning all I can about Nohr and I'd love to get to know you better."

The couple exchanged a glance. "What would you like to know, Princess Kamui?" Theo asked.

They ended up chatting about the couple's life on their estate in western Nohr. They had come to petition for more guards to be sent to the western border to protect the people from outlanders. The duke of the region had refused their petitions, so they came to appeal directly to the king.

Jakob eventually returned with her tea, and Theo and Emma were ushered into the throne room then. _What a kind couple._ Kamui smiled to herself. _I'd love to be like them when I'm older. That's a ways off, though._

Jakob brought her out of her reverie again. "Lady Kamui, it is time for you to be presented."

Kamui stood and straightened  out her skirts. "Am I presentable?"

"You are the image of a lovely lady of the court. Now, please follow me."

Kamui padded barefoot after Jakob. She had to hold up her skirts because his stride was much longer than hers. She was slightly breathless when they arrived at the doors to the throne room.

Jakob looked down at her. "Remember to wait until after I've presented you, then proceed to the throne and curtsy for the king and queen. Remain in that position until the king acknowledges you, then you may join the other members of the court. Are you ready, milady?"

Kamui forced a nervous smile. "Let's get this over with… And Jakob?"

"Yes?"

Kamui beamed up at him. "Thank you for helping me out so much today."

Jakob cleared his throat. "It is my duty, milady."

"Well, I certainly appreciate you fulfilling your duty."

"Well, now it's time for you to fulfill your duty, Princess Kamui."

Jakob opened the large doors leading to the throne room. "Presenting her ladyship, Princess Kamui, wife of Prince Leo of Nohr," he announced loudly. He glanced back at her, subtly cuing her to proceed to the throne.

The throne room was spacious and slightly intimidating. It wasn't as open and warm as Father's throne room back home. _Well, Nohr is a very different kingdom and it's known to be a bit harsh._ There were so many people, too. Kamui reminded herself to keep eye contact with King Garon. It wouldn't do to gawk like a village girl visiting the castle for the first time.

King Garon watched her with no visible emotion. Queen Arete gave her niece a small smile. Her golden eyes were sparkling. _At least someone here is glad to see me._

Kamui swept into a low curtsey and waited for the king to speak.

"You may rise, Lady Kamui, and join the members of the court," was all Garon said.

Kamui did as she was told. The members of the court were standing about the throne room, and she wasn't quite sure where to go. Fortunately, Elise waved her over to the edge of the room.

The younger princess embraced Kamui. "You were so amazing," she whispered. "You looked like you really belong here, a real lady of the court!"

The tension left Kamui's shoulders, and she genuinely smiled for the first time since that morning. "Thank you, Elise. I was quite terrified, to be honest."

Xander came over and hushed them. "Please pay attention, sisters. Now isn't the time for chit chat," he chided them softly.

"Sorry," Kamui whispered.

She tried to pay attention to the rest of the proceedings of the court, but her mind kept wandering back to her worries. She remembered what Leo had told her yesterday, to be careful who she trusted in the court. And that not all the nobles were pleased with their marriage. _I have my new family to support me, so I can get through this._

Kamui scanned the room for her husband and she eventually spotted him on the opposite side near the wall. Their eyes met briefly, and he quickly turned away.

_So he's still upset about this morning. I wish I could ask Mother for advice on what to do. I suppose I'll have to just do my best to make reconciliation with him and hope it all works out._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I based Leo's interactions with Felicia off of their support conversations. I feel like Leo isn't being rude on purpose; he's just stating things as they are. Sadly, I think if Kamui heard him talking to her maid like that, of course she'd get upset. I love Leo, but sometimes he really should keep his thoughts to himself. (I seriously wanted to slap him in Forrest's paralogue haha.)
> 
> And don't worry; Kamui and Leo won't stay mad at each other (forever). That's part of the reason I posted early; I didn't want to leave them on this note for a whole month.


	10. Cold Shoulder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo tries to give Kamui some space after their recent disagreement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I almost forgot to post today, but here it is! (It's still April 15th in Colorado, so I'm still good.)

Leo hated being at court. He didn't mind the affairs of running the kingdom, but Father's court was known for scandals and rivalries for a reason. Of course, Father and Queen Arete would handle affairs of the kingdom at court, but it was just about everyone else there that grated on Leo's nerves. It was a breeding ground for deception and betrayal. Everyone was friendly to one another on the surface, but there were so many secret animosities that Leo couldn't possibly keep track of.

And Kamui was being thrown right into the middle of it all.

She was the essence of regality as she was formally presented to the court. Leo could tell that Camilla had a hand in picking out her vibrant red gown. It suited Kamui, emphasizing the ruby red of her irises and the natural curves of her body. (Leo tired to ignore how his pulse sped at that thought.) The dress was obviously supposed to draw attention to her, and it worked, just not in a way that Leo liked.

After she had joined Elise on the other end of the hall, Leo caught whispers from the other noblemen.

"…Lord Leo's wife is _hot_ …"

"…wouldn't mind having a turn with her myself…"

"…just a political marriage, so she's totally available…"

And those were the more decent things that they were saying.

Leo ground his teeth in anger. Yes, she was certainly attractive, but she was _his_ _wife_. He hated hearing other men talk about her like she was some kind of plaything or a trophy to be won over. And they had the audacity to talk about her like that within Leo's earshot.

He was half tempted to storm over to Kamui and drag her away from the court that instant. But he knew that doing that would cause more problems than there already were. Not to mention, it would cause quite a scene.

Kamui's eyes met his, and they widened. Leo realized he was scowling at her and quickly looked away in shame. He wasn't angry with her; he was furious with all those imbeciles that would dare speak of her as they had.

She was probably angry with Leo, though. After she had snapped at him that morning, Leo figured that giving her some space was the best course of action. He really hadn't meant to upset her and was still trying to figure out what exactly he did wrong. And from Xander's stories about Charlotte's temper, Leo knew better than to ask Kamui outright; she'd expect him to know precisely what he did wrong without being told.

"Careful, Lord Leo. You might just commit a mass murder with that glare of yours," a familiar voice whispered in his ear.

Leo started; he hadn't heard Niles approach. "Just be quiet, if you know what's good for you," he muttered to his retainer.

"Oh? And how were you planning on inflicting your punishment?"

Leo glared at the rogue. "Just shut up, Niles," he hissed. He was certain that other people could hear their conversation, and that would start rumors like wildfire. "We'll talk later, okay?" he added as an afterthought.

"As you wish, milord."

Leo noticed a young lord staring at them and glared back. The man had been one of those fools talking about Kamui inappropriately; Leo would make sure he knew that was a huge mistake.

After another hour or so, Father concluded the affairs of the court, and the nobles were allowed to disperse. Of course, there was a ridiculous amount of people clamoring for Kamui's attention, including many young men, some of whom were married.

Leo wanted to join Kamui, but he didn't know if she was still upset with him and getting through that crowd would be a difficult task. So he just watched her smile and make small talk with the nobles. After spending a whole week with her, Leo could see the fatigue in her eyes. Her smile also seemed a little forced. Elise stayed by Kamui's side, eagerly introducing her to the members of Father's court.

Kamui noticed Leo staring at her. She bit her lip and glanced away. Yep, she was still upset with him.

Leo got bored of observing the people interact with his wife, so he left the throne room after a few minutes. Kamui seemed to be doing fine without him there anyway.

* * *

 

Kamui's headache returned with all of the nobles swarming around her. She did want to meet all of the members of the royal court, but this was slightly overwhelming. There were way too many introductions. To make matters worse, she was bombarded questions that ranged from Hoshidan politics to how her honeymoon was.

At least Elise stayed by her side during the whole ordeal, unlike a certain someone who had promised not to leave her to fend for herself at court. _So much for my husband's support,_ she thought grimly. Well, she'd just have to do the best she could with what she had. It would have been easier if Leo wasn't standing at a distance, just staring at her again. It was like he knew that he was treating her terribly, but didn't care at all. That realization hurt more than Kamui thought it would. She'd thought they were at least starting to become friends.

At some point, Camilla made her way over to Kamui. "I apologize to everyone, but Lady Kamui and Lady Elise have a pressing engagement to attend to." She turned to the princesses. "Come, let's get you out of here." Kamui didn't care what this 'pressing engagement' was. She was just grateful that Camilla had rescued her from all that.

 Elise and Camilla looped their arms through hers, Elise on her left, and Camilla on her right.

"So sorry you had to deal with that, darling," Camilla whispered. "You did so well, by the way."

Kamui laughed softly. "Thank you, Camilla, but all I did was walk across the throne room. Nothing too exciting there."

"But you looked so _cool_ doing it!" Elise interjected.

"Hm. I think you sell yourself short, dearest Kamui," Camilla mused. "Give yourself more credit for the good that you do."

Kamui smiled. "Thanks. Camilla, where are we headed?"

Camilla led the princesses through the castle corridors, making so many turns that Kamui felt like she was lost in a maze. "To dinner, dear."

"Oh." Kamui realized that she had forgotten to eat lunch, and now hunger was gnawing at her stomach. Maybe that was part of the cause for her headache.

"Are you hungry, Big Sister?" Elise asked.

Kamui's stomach growled audibly, and she flushed. "Very."

"Well, there's always tons of food at dinner! I think we're having pork chops and roasted potatoes tonight," Elise said brightly, then she looked at Kamui with concern. "Oh, how are you feeling, Kamui? Is your headache any better?"

Kamui sighed. "I'm better than earlier, but I still have a slight headache. I think eating something will help."

"And drink lots of water, too," Elise advised. "And if you're still not feeling well this evening, please let me help you with a staff. I don't want you to feel miserable."

Kamui smiled at the blonde princess. "Thank you, Elise. I might take you up on that offer after all."

"No problem!"

Camilla stopped by a dark oak door. "This is where the royal family's dining room is," she explained. "We all dine here for meals when we're able to."

Kamui nodded. "Is there somewhere I'm expected to sit?" She really didn't want to make a fool of herself in front of royal family. Again.

"Your place would be to Leo's left, since you're his wife. We only really worry about those formalities at dinner, though," Camilla answered.

"You get to sit next to me!" Elise smiled like her birthday had come early. "This is going to be so great!"

Kamui returned her smile. "Yes, I'm glad we get to spend more time together." _At least I'll have someone to talk to without it being awkward._

The rest of the royal family, minus the king and queen, was already seated and working on a first course of salad when they arrived.

"Sorry we're late," Camilla said. "Kamui's fans wouldn't let her go. She's already quite popular with the court."

"You're a bigger deal than Niles or I were, since your foreign and all that," Charlotte commented. "How does it feel to be in the spotlight?"

_Absolutely terrible._ Kamui forced a small smile. "I don't know if I would call it the spotlight, but I am eager to get to know the people of the court," she said diplomatically.

Charlotte giggled. "Oh you sound so much like a royal right now. It's obvious you were born into it."

Kamui couldn't tell if Charlotte was spiteful because of that, or if she was just making an observation. _She's going to be queen someday, so I don't see why she'd care._ "I do my best," was all she could think of as a reply.

Leo hardly glanced at her when she took her seat to his left. She didn't feel like forcing a conversation with him at the dinner table, so she turned to Elise, who was more than happy to tell Kamui all about her hobbies.

Kamui barely paid attention to the general conversation of the family during the meal and just slowly ate her food. She didn't really feel like talking much.

After a dessert of berry cobbler, Kamui decided that it was an appropriate time to excuse herself. She stood and everyone looked at her. "Thank you for the wonderful meal. I'm very tired, so I'm going to retire early for the night," she said politely.

There were a few goodbyes and goodnights said as Kamui left the room.

_Drat. I don't remember how to get to my room._ Kamui didn't want to go back to ask for directions; that would be too embarrassing.

She turned towards the sound of quick footsteps behind her. "Elise? Was there something you needed?"

Elise's usual bright smile was absent. "I wanted to make sure you're doing okay, Big Sister. And be honest with me; don't just tell me that everything is fine when it isn't." Kamui hadn't ever seen the girl this serious before. "Is it your headache again?"

Kamui sighed. It would be nice to talk to someone after her rough day. "My head doesn't hurt as much now," she said, which was true. "I just-" She swallowed, trying to hold back tears. "I just miss home," she admitted. "Not that Nohr isn't great; I really do like it so far. I'm just a little homesick, I guess."

_I wish I could talk to my family again._

Elise was quiet for a moment. "It's okay to miss home. I can only imagine how hard this is for you," she finally said. "You left your family, came to a foreign country, and you're stuck married to my dumb brother who didn't even speak a word to you at dinner."

Kamui grimaced. That was the other thing on her mind: Leo's cold treatment of her all day. "So you noticed that?"

"Yeah. But don't worry too much; Leo's always been like that with basically everyone." Elise rolled her eyes." Big Brother is just a big old grouchy pants most of the time."

Kamui gave a choked laugh at that. "Elise, you are too precious. Thank you for talking to me."

"Anytime. We're family now, so we've got to look out for each other," Elise said. "I love you, you know?"

Kamui started weeping at those words. It felt like ages since someone had last told her that they loved her. "I know, Elise. I love you, too." She choked back a sob.

Elise pulled Kamui into a warm hug. "Hey, it's okay." She stoked Kamui's hair gently. "It's okay to cry. I'm here for you, Kamui, whatever you need."

Kamui cried into her sister-in-law's shoulder for a few minutes before regaining her composure. She pulled away and wiped her tears. "Thank you, Elise. You've been an angel for me today."

Elise giggled. "I do my best! Now, what can I do to help you? Do you want to go to bed, or we could play a game… or whatever you want to do."

"Um… could you show me how to get to my room, actually? I don't remember the way…"

Elise brightened up. "Of course! Just follow me!"

* * *

 

Leo went to the library after dinner for some solitude.  Kamui had gone to bed early, and he didn't want to disturb her, so there went his chance of talking to her tonight. She had seemed pretty tired at dinner, but he could tell there was something off about her. She didn't seem angry anymore, but she was definitely not happy.

He was relieved that Elise had gone to talk to her; she was better at dealing with emotions than Leo was. If anyone could cheer Kamui up, it would be Elise. Or perhaps Camilla. Definitely not Leo, though.

Leo sighed when he realized that he'd been staring at the same page in his book for the past several minutes. It appeared that reading wasn't going to distract him tonight.

_Maybe I should just go to bed early, too. Gods know it's been a long day. And I'll talk to Kamui first thing in the morning._

Leo had just come to that decision when Elise burst into the library, practically yelling his name. "Leo? Leooo!"

He closed his book and approached his little sister. "Elise, we're in the library," he hissed. "There's no need to shout."

Elise crossed her arms and glowered up at him. _What did I do this time?_ "We gotta talk, Big Brother. And it's important, so whatever you're doing can wait."

She was one of the most persistent people Leo knew, so he just gave in. "Fine. What did you want to tell me?"

Elise glanced around at the few people still in the library at that hour. "It's private, so we can't talk here where people can listen in." She grabbed his hand. "We'll go to my room! C'mon!"

She dragged Leo all the way to her room, then ordered him to take a seat once they were in her sitting room. She perched on an armchair and stared at him with those bright eyes of hers.

"Okay, Elise. Will you please tell me what's going on?" _It better not be something dumb._

Elise rested her chin in her hands. "It's Kamui."

Leo felt a sinking feeling in his gut. "What's wrong?"

"She's so sad right now, and you won't even say two words to her," Elise accused. "Don't you even care that she's unhappy?"

Leo felt sick. This was not a discussion he wanted to have with his little sister. "Of course I care."

"Well, you have a terrible way of showing it. It's her first day here in Nohr, and you've been ignoring her all day." She paused. "I think you hurt her feelings."

Leo blanched. "Is that what she told you?"

"She didn't say it outright, but I have a sense about these things." Elise's brow creased with worry. "She's been _crying_ , Leo. I hate seeing her so upset."

Leo grimaced; Elise knew he hated it when girls cried, even though he would never admit it out loud. "Look, I'll talk to her tomorrow. I was actually already planning to, if you really must know."

"Good. And _try_ to be nice to her, okay? I know it's hard for you, but I know you can do it!"

Leo shook his head. "I'll take that in the spirit that it was meant." He stood. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to bed, Sister."

Elise raised an eyebrow."You're not even going to thank me for helping you?"

"I suppose I _should_ thank you," Leo replied.

"Well, aren't you going to?"

Leo smirked. "Nope." He dodged the cushion that went flying at his head. "Goodnight, Elise," he called as he dashed for the door.

"Get back here, you jerk!" Elise called out. "If you don't thank me properly, then I'm going to tickle attack you! And we both know that you're super ticklish. And then tomorrow you're going to play hide-and-seek with me. And after that, a tea party-"

"I get it, Elise," Leo interrupted. "Thank you."

His little sister smiled brightly. "See? That wasn't so hard, was it?"

"Hm. You're the one who was making a big deal out of it."

"Because it's important to tell people 'thank you', obviously." Elise rolled her eyes. "Honestly, didn't you learn anything about being polite as a child?"

Leo tried to hide his grin. "Yes, but that doesn't apply to little sisters."

Elise stormed up to him and pouted. "Take that back, or else I'm going to tell Xander that you were picking on me again."

"Then I'll tell him that you were throwing things at me again," Leo countered.

"Well, you deserved it," Elise replied sweetly.

"I beg to differ. Older brothers never deserve to have projectiles thrown at them."

"Ugh. Why are you so weird?" she groaned. She pushed him towards the door. "But I'm going to sleep now, so you need to get out of here."

"What do you think I've been trying to do this whole time? You're the one who's been holding me hostage here."

"Well, I've released you, so get going, Leo."

* * *

 

Leo couldn't fall asleep, so he ended up pacing around his dark bedroom. His worst fear about marriage was coming true: he was hurting his wife. She'd only been in Nohr for one day, and he'd already blown it. He pushed his pale hair out of his face, since he'd taken off his headband for the night, and tried to figure out what to do. It was tempting to just wake Kamui that instant and get all this off his chest, but he knew she wouldn't appreciate being woken up in the middle of the night.

_What am I even going to say to her? 'Sorry I'm such a pathetic husband'? 'You deserve better than me'?_ Leo groaned; he really wasn't cut out for being married. _Why did anyone think this was a good idea? She's practically an angel, and I'm dragging her down to hell with me._

These dark thoughts plagued his mind until he eventually fell into a fitful sleep.

A knock at the door woke him in the morning. His heart started racing when he realized that it was at the door to Kamui's bedroom. _I'm not prepared for this. I don't have a plan, and I'm just going to mess this up again._

He pulled himself out of bed and settled his headband in his hair to keep it out of his eyes. There was no point in getting dressed at the moment.

"L-Leo? Are you awake?" Kamui's voice was trembling. "I'd like to talk to you, please."

Leo opened the door and came face to face with his wife.

She wore a black nightgown with long sleeves and a v-shaped neckline that dropped to her bosom. Even though there were more pressing issues on his mind, Leo still noticed how the gown hugged the curves of her figure. Her silvery-blonde curls were tangled around her shoulders. It didn't look her hair had been brushed yet today. Her lovely crimson eyes looked up at him with such sadness. Despite her low spirits, Kamui was still breathtakingly beautiful.

"Leo," she breathed.

"Kamui," Leo whispered her name. "Would you like to come in?"

She nodded. "If you're okay with that."

"Of course." Leo moved out of her way and gestured to his unmade bed. "You can, uh, sit on the bed, if you'd like, or whatever you're comfortable with."

She sat gingerly on the edge of the bed. "Thanks."

They just stared at each other in silence for a few heartbeats.

Kamui was the one to break it. "Leo, I want to apologize for yesterday," she began. She fidgeted with her hair, unable to look him in the eye. "I overreacted and I shouldn't have yelled at you like I did." She closed her eyes and grimaced. "I'm so sorry and I promise to do better. Can you forgive my lapse of judgment? I know you're angry with me- and you have every reason to- but I… can't stand this anymore." Her breath caught. "It hurts." Her face was pinched as she tried to hold back tears.

Leo swallowed. "What hurts?"

She released a shaky breath. "The guilt of knowing that I wronged you, not speaking to each other all day yesterday… I know it's all my fault, but I felt… abandoned. Maybe it's silly of me, but I kind of hoped you'd be there for me while I adjust to things here." A tear rolled down her cheek. "I'm so, so sorry…"

Leo felt like his guilt was going to consume him; he'd really hurt her. He sat next to her and pulled her against his chest. "Kamui, you have nothing to apologize for. I had no idea that you were hurting like this. And… I'm sorry for causing you this pain."

She sniffled and pulled him closer. Leo could feel how her body trembled as he held her. He ran his hand soothingly up and down her back.

"I'm a pretty pathetic excuse for a husband, I'm afraid," Leo continued. "I didn't mean to ignore you like that yesterday. I thought you were mad at me and needed some space."

She pulled back and met his gaze with wide, tear-filled eyes. "Wait, you weren't mad at me?"

Leo couldn't lie to her, but he tried his best to be tactful in answering her question. "I admit I was a little frustrated after our… disagreement, but I got over it fairly quickly. I thought you were mad at me and I didn't want to make things worse." He grimaced. "Looks like I ended up doing that anyway."

Kamui laughed through her tears. It would have been more endearing if she hadn't been crying. "I thought _you_ were mad at _me_ all day, and that's why you were giving me the cold shoulder. I figured you'd finally lost all patience with me and were done putting up with me- that you hated me."

Leo's heart sank at those words. She'd thought he _hated_ her? "Kamui, I don't hate you." He paused briefly. "I actually really care about you," he admitted. He could feel the heat rushing to his cheeks at his small confession, and his heart started pounding like a drum in his chest again. "I'm sorry I made you think otherwise yesterday. Can you forgive me for my incompetence?"

"Of course I forgive you," she said without hesitation. "I think we're just really bad at reading each other still. I honestly kind of forget why I got upset in the first place."

Leo thought back to yesterday morning. It had something to do with what he'd said about Felicia, but he didn't really know what specifically. "That's water under the bridge now… right?" he clarified.

Kamui smiled softly. "Yeah, let's just move on from that."

Leo felt like a huge burden had been lifted from his shoulders. "So, we're good now?"

Kamui threw her arms around Leo's shoulders and hugged him so tightly that he thought he could feel her heart beating against him. "We're good," she agreed. She kissed him on the check. "Thank you, Leo."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be honest, I don't really feel like leaving any notes, so this will be quick. 
> 
> Kamui and Leo made up, so hooray for that! (I don't like it when they're upset with each other. Also, I don't feel like they'd stay mad for long over this particular disagreement.) And if you can't tell, I adore Camilla and Elise as sisters, so of course they're going to intervene. (Poor Leo getting relationship advice from his little sister... He needs all the help he can get! Pretending your wife doesn't exist is NOT going to resolve this problem.)
> 
> Anyway, thank you for reading! I hoped you enjoyed this chapter :)
> 
> (There might be another "surprise" update before June 15th, but we'll have to see about that.)


	11. Under the Surface

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kamui receives some visitors from Hoshido and has another long discussion with Leo.

Three days after her arrival in Nohr, Kamui finally heard word from home.

She was reading on her bed when there was a knock on her door. "Come in!" she called. She quickly got off the bed, since laying on her stomach wasn't decent in the company of others.

Felicia opened the door. "I hope you're not busy, milady; there's some visitors here for you," she said with a grin.

"Visitors? But, I wasn't expecting anyone…"

"They're from Hoshido, Lady Kamui," Felicia added.

Kamui gasped. "Really? Are they here now?"

"Yes, I showed them into your sitting room…" Felicia began, but Kamui pushed past her.

She didn't care that she was barefoot and wearing a simple sky-blue dress; she just wanted to see her visitors from home. She practically squealed with delight when she saw who had come.

"Mozu! Kaze! You came!" Kamui dashed over to embrace her retainers.

Mozu returned the hug gratefully. "Lady Kamui, I'm so happy to see you again! I've missed you so much."

Kaze was less enthusiastic about the hug, but he'd never really liked physical contact. "It's good to see you, milady. How have they been treating you?" he asked.

Kamui released them and grinned. "Oh, I've been fantastic! I mean, things have been crazy, but a good kind of crazy. Nohr is very different from Hoshido, but I like it. Enough about me, though. How was your journey? Can I get any refreshments for you?"

Mozu and Kaze glanced at each other. "I'll take some tea, if that's alright with you, milady," Mozu replied.

Kamui called Felicia over. "Felicia, will you please go prepare some tea for us? And bring yourself a cup, too; you're going to join us."

"Right away, Lady Kamui!" Felicia said cheerfully. "I'll do my best not to make it too bitter or drop it."

Kamui smiled in encouragement. "Thank you. I believe you can do it, Felicia."

Kamui focused on her retainers again. "So, tell me what's been going on in Hoshido?"

Mozu had gone back to her village during the week of the honeymoon, so she chatted about how her mother and friends were doing. "…And I got to help with the veggie patch, so that was dandy." Mozu grinned. "I can't thank you enough for letting have this break, Lady Kamui!"

Kamui giggled. "You deserved it, Mozu. You're been so good to me the last two years."

She turned to Kaze. "And you, Kaze? Tell me about your week."

Kaze wore a small smile. "Well, there's not a lot to tell, milady. I went home, to Igasato, so that was nice. Other than that, I spent time with Saizo when he wasn't busy protecting Lord Ryoma."

"Well, I'm so glad you both had a good week!" Kamui was beaming; she was just so happy to see her friends again.

"And how was _your_ week, Lady Kamui?" Mozu asked with a knowing smile.

Kamui suddenly felt warm. "It was good," she said. "You heard we went to Izumo, right?"

"Yep! Lord Leo told your parents before you left, so they wouldn't worry," Mozu said.

"Oh, he did? That was thoughtful," Kamui mused. She wrapped a lock of hair around her finger.

"Lord Leo seems very responsible from what I've observed," Kaze added. "I think he's a good spouse for you."

Kamui was certain that she was blushing now. "He's been very good to me," she said softly, glancing away.

Fortunately for her, Felicia returned with their tea just then. Kamui was relieved that she didn't drop or spill anything; she did not want a repeat of her first morning in Nohr. The tea itself was slightly bitter, but not too horrible.

They exchanged pleasantries, then Kamui cleared her throat. "Anyway, how is my family doing?"

"Well, we actually brought letters with us, so you can read what they said," Kaze replied.

"But they're doing well," Mozu added. "They all miss you at home."

Kamui felt like tearing up. "I miss them, too," she murmured.

There was a moment of silence.

Kaze was the first to speak. "Would you like your letters, milady?"

"Yes, please."

Kaze pulled a stack of letters from his pouch. "Would you like some privacy to read them?"

She nodded. "That would be nice. And you probably need time to settle into your new rooms, so you don't need to perform your duties to me for today."

Mozu and Kaze had both opted to move to Nohr to watch over Kamui. She was proud of their dedication and courage. And she was a little relieved that she wasn't the only Hoshidan at the castle now.

She turned to her maid. "Felicia, would you please make sure Mozu and Kaze have everything they need?"

"Of course, milady," Felicia said brightly. "Enjoy your letters."

After they left, Kamui curled up on her bed to read her letters. Both Mother and Father had written, as well as all of her siblings, including Orochi and Subaki, much to her surprise. She was missed at home, but things seemed to be going well for the most part. Not a whole lot of interest had happened since the wedding, but Kamui didn't care; she was just happy to hear from her family.

She eagerly penned a letter to the whole family, since writing eight individual letters was a bit daunting.

_Dear Mother, Father, Ryoma, Orochi, Hinoka, Subaki, Takumi, and Sakura,_

_I was so happy to receive your letters today! They made me feel so loved! I'm glad things are going well at home. I miss Hoshido, but Nohr has been exciting so far. Well, and my time in Izumo with Leo. (Leo and Izana did not click very well. It was pretty hilarious actually.) And I made Leo read one of my romance novels, so he is officially the best! (Even though he didn't like it very much.) I think Ryoma and Takumi should read one; it would be an enlightening experience. Leo's family has been very welcoming, especially his sisters Camilla and Elise. I don't know if I could cope without their support! Please keep writing me often! I miss you all and I love you so much!_

_Love,_

_Kamui_

She sealed the letter, but realized that she didn't know where to go to send it. She pulled her messy curls into a ponytail, then went in search of Leo. She hadn't seen him yet today, so it would probably be a good idea to at least say hi to him.

He wasn't in his rooms, so Kamui went to the most likely place to find her husband: the library. She ignored the glances and whispers from the servants in the corridors; she knew that she was the main topic of castle gossip at the moment. She was proud of herself for finding the library without having to ask for directions, which was a first.

Sure enough, Kamui found Leo at his usual table with a stack of books near him.

"Leo!" she greeted him brightly.

He looked up at her and smiled at her enthusiasm. "Kamui, you seem to be in a good mood today," he observed.

She grinned. "Yep! Oh, I hope I'm not disturbing you or anything. You seem kind of busy."

Leo leaned back in his chair and rested his hands behind his head. "Kamui, I'm almost always busy," he pointed out. His lips curved into a smirk. "But, I _suppose_ I can spare a minute or two for you."

"Great!" Kamui plopped in the chair across from him. She rested her elbows on the table and her chin in her hands. "So, how has your day been?"

"Fine so far," he answered. "But it's not even noon yet, so there's still plenty of time left in the day. Now, what has you in such a good mood?"

"My retainers finally got here today, and they brought letters from my family!" she said happily.

Leo returned her smile. "I presume from your cheerful demeanor, that they are well."

Kamui nodded. "Yeah. They miss me, but things are well at home." She gave a short laugh. "Well, Takumi tells me that things have vastly improved since I left, but I know he secretly misses me."

"I'm glad to hear it."

"Actually, I wrote my family a letter, but I don't know how I'm supposed to send it," Kamui admitted. "I was hoping you could help me?"

Leo rolled his eyes. "I should have known there was something you wanted from me, other than just to chat."

"If you don't want to, I can always go find Camilla or Elise. I just haven't seen you yet today, so I thought..." Kamui shrugged.

"I never said I didn't want to," Leo countered. "Did you want to go right now?"

"Please. But only if now is a good time for you. I don't want to interrupt anything."

Leo stifled a yawn."Well, I think your two minutes are about up, but I guess I can give you a time extension."

"Leo, I'm your wife," Kamui scoffed. "I think I have every right to monopolize as much of your time as I want."

"Hm. That's debatable," Leo said as he got up.

He offered Kamui his hand, and she took it. He pulled her up and intertwined his fingers with hers.

Leo led the way through the castle. "We have a mail room," he explained. "If you want to send letters within the castle, the servants will get it to the right person, even if the sender is anonymous. And if you want to send mail outside the castle, we have messengers that leave every morning to deliver them."

"That sounds very organized. In Hoshido, it's similar, but we don't have an in-castle mail system," Kamui noted. "It's probably a good thing because I could totally see some people manipulating the system."

"Oh, people definitely use the mail system in unorthodox ways here." Leo paused. "Well, it _is_ the Nohrian royal court, so there shouldn't be a surprise there."

Kamui looked up at his expressionless face. "What do you mean?" she asked.

Leo sighed and lowered his voice. "It would be better to discuss this particular subject in private. We can go to my room after you send your letter. There's no knowing who could be listening."

Kamui felt a chill run down her spine. _What's going on here?_

The servants running the mail room were friendly and eager to help Kamui send her letter. Leo was still holding her hand and didn't seem inclined to let go. After that, he led the way back to his bedroom.

His bed was made this time, unlike the mess it had been yesterday morning. The bedding was various shades of black and blue. He also had several bookcases in the room. There was a desk covered in papers. The curtains were drawn, and it felt like Kamui had stepped into a cave.

"It's really dark in here," she observed. "Do you mind if I open the curtains?"

Leo shrugged. "Whatever you'd like to do."

Kamui felt like she was intruding on his privacy. This was definitely Leo's personal space. "Um, it's fine," she said quietly.

Leo rolled his eyes and went over to the window. "Kamui, I'm okay with letting some natural lighting in here. I'm not some vampire that can't stand the sight of daylight."

Kamui giggled at that comment.

 He pushed back the curtains, allowing daylight to stream into the room. Leo's hair looked like pale gold in the sunlight.

Kamui smiled shyly. "Thanks."

"You can take a seat, you know?" Leo pointed out. "We don't need to worry about formalities in here. This is just my bedroom."

Kamui sat on the edge of his bed. Her face felt flushed. "I know. It is _your_ room, so I don't want to intrude or anything."

Leo sat next to her. "Kamui, if I thought you were intruding, I wouldn't invite you in here."

Kamui felt her heart pounding. Logically she knew that nothing was going to happen, but the fact that it was just the two of them alone in his bedroom put her on edge.

Leo seemed to know what she was thinking, unsurprisingly. "You don't need to worry; I gave you my word that I wouldn't do anything until we were in agreement on it. Please, feel free to make yourself comfortable here."

Kamui let out a nervous laugh. "I know, I know. Sorry for being weird about it." To her chagrin, she noticed her hands had started shaking; she clasped them in her lap.

Leo shrugged. "This is still new territory for both of us, so it makes sense that you'd feel that way." He cleared his throat. "Anyway, we didn't come here to discuss that. You asked me about the court."

Kamui nodded. "Yes. I remember what you said the other day about people trying to use me, but I'd like a little more explanation."

Leo ran his fingers through his fair hair. "What have you heard about the Nohrian royal court?" he asked.

Kamui thought for a moment. "Mm. I know that King Garon- your father- had a lot of concubines in the court, and-" She gasped as she realized what she'd just said. _That's probably a touchy subject._ "Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to-"

Leo cut her off. "Kamui, it's fine. Really. As you most likely already know, Camilla, Elise, and I are all children born to those concubines. So, yes, Father had sexual relations with many women that he wasn't married to."

"R-Right," Kamui stuttered. "And are you really okay with that?"

Leo laid back on the bed with his hands behind his head and sighed. "Well, it's how my life is, whether or not I like it. Talking about it doesn't really bother me, though."

Kamui looked down at him. "And your mother? Is she still..." Come to think of it, she didn't know _anything_ about Leo's mother.

"My mother passed away when I was a child," he said bluntly.

"I'm sorry. That must have been really difficult," Kamui whispered. She couldn't imagine losing her mother at a young age, or even at this point in her life. That would break her heart.

Leo shook his head. "I was never close to my mother. She mostly saw me as a tool to gain favor in the court and with Father. She never showed me any love, and the sentiment was mutual." His tone was bitter now.

Kamui felt tears well up in her eyes. How could a mother be so cruel to her own child? "Leo, that's horrible! I'm so sorry you had to go through that." A single tear slid down her cheek, and she tried to wipe it away before he noticed.

Nothing seemed to get past Leo, though. He glanced at her in concern and sat up. "Are you okay, Kamui?"

Kamui bit her lip. "I-I'm just so sad to hear that your mother would be so heartless to you." She sniffled and tried to hold back more tears.

Leo's dark amber eyes were pained. "Please don't worry about it; it's in the past now."

_But it still hurts you, even if you won't admit it._

On impulse, Kamui wrapped her arms around his neck and held him close. "Leo…" she breathed in his ear. Her tears quietly rolled down her face, dampening his warm skin.

Leo gasped before he relaxed and enfolded her in his arms. Kamui felt his fingers run gently through her hair. "Hey, it's okay," he murmured.

They held each other like that for several moments, neither of them breaking the silence. Kamui hoped that it conveyed the things she couldn't put into words. It didn't sound like Leo had received much love in his life, and she desperately wanted that to change. She wanted him to know that she was here for him, that he wouldn't be alone anymore. She wished she could just take away his pain. _I… I don't know if this is love, but I really care about him,_ she realized. She shivered involuntarily at that thought, and Leo held her closer. Not for the first time, Kamui noted how warm and safe she felt in his embrace. She wasn't sure if it was just her imagination, but she thought she could feel his steady pulse beating in his chest.

Kamui pulled back and laughed nervously. "Sorry for being overly sensitive." She wiped the remaining moisture from her eyes.

Leo sighed softly. "I'm getting used to it now. But… thank you for your concern, Kamui." He pressed his lips to her forehead. "I… appreciate it."

Kamui's heart warmed at that, and she couldn't help smiling up at her husband. "Of course." Without really thinking about it, she cupped his cheek in her hand. "Thank you for confiding in me."

She had the sudden urge to kiss him. _Well, why not? We are married, after all._ She leaned in closer and brushed her lips against his. Her eyes fluttered shut the moment their lips met. Leo embraced her again and gently kissed her back. Kamui realized after a moment that somehow she had ended up sitting in his lap.

She laughed breathlessly when they broke apart. "Sorry, I don't know why I did that," she mumbled. Her face felt flushed again.

Kamui noticed that Leo's cheeks were also red. He gave her a genuine smile, and his eyes seemed to sparkle with happiness. "I'm not complaining. That was nice," he noted.

Kamui's cheeks felt warmer when she recalled how he had admitted that he liked kissing her the other day. She giggled. "Well, I think I really derailed that conversation, so sorry about that."

Leo pressed a brief kiss to her lips. "There's no need to apologize for that." He sighed. "But I suppose you are correct; we do need to talk about the nature of the court, for your sake."

Kamui nodded. Her heart was still fluttering from his kisses. She moved out of his lap and sat next to him instead. She was less likely to get distracted if there was a little more space between them. As it was, she still found herself resting her head on his shoulder. _What is wrong with me today? I'm acting like a complete fool._ She took a deep breath to get her bearings again. "Okay, I'm listening," she said.

Leo wrapped his arm around her. "Right. So as I was saying, Father took many concubines when he was… more youthful, let's say."

"Wait, does your father still have concubines?" Kamui asked. She personally couldn't see why he'd bother when he was married to Queen Arete, but there was a lot about the man that she didn't understand.

"If he does, he's gotten a _lot_ better about keeping it a secret. I personally don't believe he has lovers other than Queen Arete now," Leo mused. "Although, there are still power-hungry women that would jump at the chance to catch the King's attention."

Kamui wrinkled her nose. "Seriously? That is pretty sick, actually. He could be old enough to be their father." She placed her hand over her mouth. "Oh, I probably shouldn't talk about the King like that." _And especially in front of his son. Pull yourself together, Kamui. Think before you speak._

"Normally, that is probably not something you should say," Leo agreed. "But I promise whatever you tell me within these walls won't leave this room. And don't worry about insulting me because he's my father; I am quite aware that Father has many flaws. But yes, mind what you say about him outside of this room."

"I'll be careful," Kamui promised. She was relieved that her insensitive comments hadn't upset him.

"Good. You should always be on your guard around the members of the court. Anyone might use what you do or say against you."

Kamui nodded. "Right. Is there anything else I should know about the court?"

Leo sighed before answering. "As we were discussing, Father's had multiple concubines and lovers in the past. You should probably know that he isn't the only member of the court that has had multiple lovers on the side. Both lords and ladies frequently engage in these relationships, even if they are married. It's actually a pretty commonly accepted practice and a hot topic for gossip circles."

Kamui gasped. "That's so horrible! What about their wedding vows?"

Leo shrugged. "Obviously they're breaking their vows of fidelity. I personally feel that there is a stigma in the court that wedding vows are just a formality anyway."

Kamui wanted to ask what _he_ thought about keeping wedding vows, but she was too afraid to hear the answer, so she didn't bring it up.

"Infidelity isn't the only issue with our court," Leo continued. "People also form social alliances and rivalries. I don't really listen to gossip, but from what I've heard from my sisters, it can get quite vicious." He shook his head. "Honestly, I don't think anyone trusts each other anymore. The court has been pretty corrupt my whole life, so I don't things will change anytime soon. Maybe when Xander is king, things will be different," he mused. "But for now, that's how things are around here."

He put his hands on her shoulders and turned her so they had direct eye contact. "That's why you need to extra careful about who you trust and what you share with other people. I don't want anyone to hurt or betray you." His grip tightened on her shoulders. "If you stick close to Camilla, I think you should be mostly fine. She's the one who really understands all of the intricacies of court life. And I trust her, so I know she wouldn't harm you in any way. She's quite fond of you, you know?"

Kamui smiled softly. "Yeah, she's a good sister-in-law and friend… What about the rest of your family?"

Leo frowned. "What I'm about to tell you should never leave this room," he warned.

Kamui nodded. "I won't tell a soul."

"Good. So, Xander and Elise are trustworthy and very loyal. However, Elise has a tendency to unintentionally share things that she shouldn't, so I would be careful with what you share with her. As for Charlotte and Niles… Well, Niles is my retainer and I trust him with my life. Since you're my wife, you can count on his loyalty. However, he _is_ Niles, if you catch my meaning, so be careful what you tell him."

Kamui snorted. "Don't worry; I think I know exactly what you mean. He makes some very… different comments."

Leo let out a short laugh. "That's a mild way of putting it. Do me a favor and never mention any details about our relationship to him," he commented. "And with Charlotte, I personally think it depends on her mood. She can keep secrets when she wants to, but she does have a tendency to gossip. You already know Queen Arete and Azura fairly well, since they're your relatives, so I don't need to say anything there. And you probably won't interact much with Father, since he's so busy." He shrugged. "That's _my_ take on it, though. I recommend getting to know my family better, so you can make your own judgment calls."

Kamui nodded in understanding. "I'll keep that in mind… And, Leo? Thank you for taking the time to tell me about all this."

"Of course. Although, this took a lot longer than your allocated time, so you'll have to pay me back somehow." Leo smirked, so Kamui knew he wasn't being completely serious.

Kamui raised an eyebrow. "What did you have in mind?" In a moment of boldness, she added, "A kiss?"

Leo laughed quietly, and his smile widened. "Well, if you're offering…"

Kamui felt butterflies in her stomach. "That's what I said, right?"

Leo leaned in closer. "Then, I accept your offer."

Her breath caught when he pushed the hair back from her face. He cupped her chin in his hand and ran his thumb over her lips. Then, he kissed her tenderly. Kamui wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her. She kissed him back and ran her fingers through his hair. It was soft and silky, and Kamui was secretly happy that her touch didn't seem to bother him.

Without warning, Leo's bedroom door opened, and they broke the kiss abruptly. Leo glared over Kamui's shoulder. "Niles," he growled. His cheeks were still flushed, but his expression hardened with anger. "What have I told you about knocking before entering?"

Kamui turned to see the visitor. She was absolutely mortified that _Niles_ of all people had walked in on them kissing. She felt her blush deepen when he grinned at her. There was no way that she could look Niles in the eye right now without having a panic attack of some sort. Without thinking about how it would look to Niles, she pulled herself closer to Leo and hid her face in his chest. She felt Leo's steady arms wrap around her.

"Sorry, milord. Must have slipped my mind." Niles didn't sound sorry at all. "And good afternoon to you, Lady Kamui. It's nice to see the two of you spending some quality time together. I am a little surprised to find you in the bedroom in the middle of the day. You do know that the honeymoon is over now, right?"

Well, that embarrassed Kamui to no end, but Leo was infuriated. He tightened his hold on Kamui, and she could feel the tension in his body. "Get out! That's an order!" he snapped.

Niles didn't seem fazed. "You didn't tell me when to get out, but I can see that you two are… occupied at the moment, so I won't stay long. Although I'm sure it would be fun to watch."

Kamui was glad no one could see her face at that moment; it felt as red as a ripe tomato.

Leo was also displeased with Niles's comments. "Niles… As your lord, I am ordering you to leave this room this instant!"

Kamui gulped; she hadn't seen Leo get this angry even with Izana.

"I need to deliver my message first," Niles countered.

"Do you want me to practice casting curses on you? It can be easily arranged…" Leo threatened. And seeing him this angry, Kamui believed he'd go through with that punishment.

She pulled away from Leo and looked up into his face. "Wait, it was just an accident, Leo. Don't punish Niles for something he didn't intend to do," she pleaded.

"See? She doesn't want you to do that to me, Lord Leo," Niles commented.

Leo frowned. "You don't know Niles like I do, Kamui. I am positive he _wanted_ to see us…" He flushed and didn't finish that statement. "But, fine. Niles, deliver your message, then get out of here."

"Camilla wants you both to come to lunch now," Niles said.

Leo groaned. "That's it?! That is a pathetic reason to barge into my room without permission!"

Kamui gripped his forearms. "Leo, calm down," she said firmly.

He took a deep breath. "I _am_ calm, Kamui," he said coldly. He returned his gaze to Niles. "Well, you've delivered your message, so please leave my room now."

"Do you two need a little privacy?" Niles hinted.

Leo went red. "Y-Yes! There are some matters I need to discuss with my _wife_ without my retainer hovering over my shoulder."

"Okay, okay. I get the picture, milord. I'll let Camilla know that you're not to be disturbed for the rest of the day," Niles commented.

"Just _leave_ ," Leo huffed.

"As you wish, Mr. Grouchypants," was Niles's snide remark before he hurriedly closed the door.

"Niles!"

Kamui cringed. "Leo, don't yell in my ear," she chided.

Leo instantly let go of her. "Sorry about that," he muttered.

Kamui fidgeted with her hair. "It's okay… Um… were you actually going to _curse_ your retainer?" Perhaps that was a common punishment among Nohrians, and that was why the servants seemed nervous all the time.

Leo scoffed. "I wouldn't do anything permanent or too extreme; Camilla would kill me if I did."

Kamui frowned. "So you would?"

"Only if he kept disobeying me." He said it like harming another person wasn't an issue at all.

Kamui narrowed her eyes. "But he's your friend and brother-in-law," she protested. "Why would you do such a thing?"

Leo raised an eyebrow. "So you want me to let Niles walk in on us at any time?"

"That's not what I said," Kamui retorted. "Now answer my question: why would you curse your own retainer?" She couldn't imagine doing anything to harm Kaze or Mozu.

 Leo crossed his arms defensively. "Niles needs disciplining when he disobeys me. He may be married to my sister, but he is still my retainer."

Kamui's hands balled into fists in her lap. "So he's like a slave to you, then?"

His eyes widened. "What? No, why would you say something like that?"

"That's what you seem to be implying."

Leo was quiet and searched her face for something. "Kamui…" he began slowly. "Are you… are you mad at me again?" He almost looked worried to her.

Kamui bit her lip. Yes, she was mad, but she realized she was not handling the situation very well again. Instead of acting like a responsible adult, she was behaving like a defiant child. "Leo, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you again."

Leo frowned. "Forgive me for asking, but would you please tell me why you're so upset with me?"

Kamui took a deep breath before answering. "You really don't have any idea what could be bothering me?"

Leo grimaced. "Well, I have some theories, but I'd like to hear it directly from you, instead of making this a guessing game."

Kamui flopped back on the bed and buried her face in her hands. She really didn't know how to put this into words. And she was probably blowing things out of proportion. She just hated it when other people weren't treated very well. Her mother had raised her to be compassionate and patient with others' faults... _Well, I'm doing a terrible job at that right now,_ she realized. _I haven't been very patient with Leo lately._

"Kamui?"

"I'm sorry…" she mumbled.

"What was that? I can't understand you when you talk into your hands."

Kamui uncovered her face, but couldn't bring herself to look him in the eye. "I'm so sorry, Leo… I'm such a hypocrite," she moaned.

Leo sighed in annoyance. "What are you talking about? That doesn't help me know why you're upset."

Kamui opened her eyes and gazed up into his. His brow was furrowed, and his mouth was drawn down in a frown.

_Great, now I'm making_ him _mad._

"Um… I'm mad at myself now, so don't worry about it… Hey! Did you just roll your eyes at me?!" Kamui pulled herself up into a sitting position.

Leo gave her a dirty look. "Yes, I did. Kamui, you're being… absolutely ridiculous! How am I supposed to fix this if you won't tell me what the problem is?" he demanded. "You tell me that you're mad, but won't tell me why. And then, you say I shouldn't worry about it." He grabbed his hair. "You're not making any logical sense right now."

_Ridiculous… Not making any logical sense… He thinks I'm a complete idiot!_ Perhaps he had every reason to think that, but it still hurt.

Kamui bit her lip and fought back the sudden urge to cry. She turned away from Leo and wiped the angry tears from her eyes before they fell. "This is all my fault," she whispered. "I've been treating you horribly and I'm sorry." She stood to go. "I'll leave you alone. Sorry for wasting your time."

Leo grabbed her wrist and pulled her back to the bed. "No, you don't. We are not repeating what happened the other day."

"Leo, you're hurting me," she muttered.

"Sorry."

He instantly let go of her wrist, and Kamui rubbed it soothingly. She sat on the bed and turned to him. His expression was neutral, and she couldn't figure out what he was thinking.

She sighed. "I'm sorry I got mad at you. That wasn't very mature of me. Will you forgive me? I promise I'll do my best to be more patient in the future."

Leo just gazed at her. "Why are you upset? Please tell me. I don't want to make the same mistake again."

Kamui focused on her hands folded in her lap. She laughed bitterly. "I think I'm mostly upset with myself right now. But the reason I got mad in the first place is that I just can't believe you would harm your own retainer just because he didn't follow orders. Surely there's a better way to discipline Niles." She looked up at him. "But I realized that I'm in the wrong because I'm jumping to conclusions and not being very patient." She smiled sadly. "Like you said, I'm probably not making much sense right now." She watched Leo with wide eyes, trying to gauge his reaction.

He sighed. "I do have more experience dealing with Niles than you do," he pointed out. "However, I have never caused any serious harm to come to Niles. Please understand that I'm not a cruel person, Kamui. I know I may come off that way sometimes, but I'd like to think that I'm better than that. My apologies for upsetting you again."

Kamui bit her lip. _I don't want him to see himself as a cruel person- he's not!_ "Leo, I know you aren't a cruel person; I've never even thought that," she began. She touched his cheek softly and smiled. "You're a good person. You've been so patient with me and… and you still put up with me, even though I haven't been very patient with you…"

She trailed off when Leo wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close again. "L-Leo?"

A playful smile danced on his lips. "I believe we were interrupted earlier. I'll forgive your impatience if you'll let me finish what we started." He was looking at her lips, and Kamui knew exactly what he was talking about. He didn't do anything, and Kamui realized that he was waiting for her consent.

She nodded hesitantly. "Okay… but I don't want to miss lunch."

Leo laughed at that. "We won't be long," he promised. "So… shall we?"

Kamui giggled. "Yes." She leaned in and gave him a kiss, running her fingers through his hair once again.

Leo was all too eager to return the kiss. He kissed her lips, her face… But when his lips wandered to her neck, Kamui started to panic. This was much more intimate that they'd been before, and she was scared. "Leo… Leo, please stop," she gasped.

For a horrible moment, she worried that he wouldn't listen to her, but he released her. "Sorry," he muttered. "I got carried away, didn't I?"

Kamui was still a little breathless. "Y-Yes… I just don't think I'm ready for this yet." She closed her eyes in shame. "Forgive me," she whispered.

"No, forgive me. I… I shouldn't have done that." Leo probably wouldn't admit it out loud, but Kamui could tell that his feelings were hurt.

She looked over at him and did her best to give him a smile. "It's okay. Thank you for listening to me. I…"

The door swung open without warning once again.

Leo growled under his breath and glared at Camilla. "Seriously, Camilla?! I'm certain I told you to knock before barging in here," he snapped.

_At least we weren't kissing this time…_ Kamui was still embarrassed at the intrusion of their privacy, though.

Camilla just grinned and looked between them. "Oh, you two are so cute together!"

"What do you want?" Leo groaned.

"It's lunchtime, dears," was her answer. "I didn't believe it when Niles said that you were in here with a certain someone, so I had to come see for myself." Camilla clapped her hands. "I'm so glad to see it's Kamui and not some other woman…"

Kamui felt cold with horror. Camilla thought that Leo would have another woman in his bedroom?

Leo was seething. "As you can see, Sister, nothing of the sort is going on." He stood and helped Kamui up from the bed. "We'll join you momentarily." His eyes were hard with suppressed fury.

Camilla giggled. "Well, don't take too long," she called out before leaving them alone.

Leo sighed in frustration. "I think I'll need to get a lock for that door," he muttered.

Kamui sighed. "I guess we should go to lunch, then." There was still so much she felt like she needed to discuss with Leo, though.

Leo nodded. "Agreed." Kamui took his offered arm, and he led her to the dining room.

"Hey, Leo?" Kamui asked timidly as they walked.

"Yes?"

"After lunch, can we go back to your room?"

Leo glanced down at her. "Why?"

"I want to continue our discussion… if you have time, of course."

Leo smirked. "Enjoying my company that much?"

She giggled. "Well, that and there's some more things we need to talk about."

"I guess if you _insist_ , I can spare a little more time for you," he drawled. "Of course, I'll need some sort of compensation."

Kamui pinched his arm. "I thought you _liked_ spending time with me. That should be compensation enough."

"Oh, I do," Leo replied without missing a beat. "How about you spend time with me in the library tomorrow, then?"

Kamui raised an eyebrow. "As a date?"

Leo spluttered. "Uh, sure," he said when he regained his composure. "We'll make it a date. How about five in the morning?"

Kamui glared at him. "There's no way I'm getting up that early, and you know that."

Leo snickered. "Sorry, I couldn't help myself. Does ten in the morning sound more reasonable to you?"

"Yes, _much_ more reasonable. We are still going back to your bedroom after lunch, right?"

Leo lowered his voice. "Yes, but don't say that so loud; Niles might overhear, and then we'll never hear the end of it."

Kamui grimaced. "I can't disagree with you there."


	12. Study Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo and Kamui discuss their relationship further, Leo seeks advice from his sibling, and they have their planned study date in the library.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, sorry this is late! I've been pretty busy lately, but I'll try to be more on top of it next month.

Lunch seemed to drag on forever. Camilla, Elise, Charlotte, and Niles had a lively conversation, but Leo couldn't pay attention. His mind was almost entirely focused on the young woman seated next to him. Not only was Princess Kamui breathtakingly beautiful, but she was also one of the kindest people he'd ever met. Being with her was calming, and he anticipated being alone with her again soon.

Leo hadn't planned on spending the majority of the day conversing with his wife, but he couldn't complain. He still didn't quite understand why she wanted to spend time with him today. His chest felt warm when he remembered her caresses on his face, the way she held him tightly, and how she'd kissed him tenderly.

When she touched him like that, it was no wonder that he'd started losing control with her. Leo was learning that attraction was a potent force, one that overrode his logical judgment. And that worried Leo. He'd always been in control of his emotions and desires, but with Kamui he kept finding himself slipping up more frequently. Well, what he did and what he wanted to do weren't _wrong_ , but he hated seeing the fear reflected in Kamui's ruby red eyes. He'd told her he would be patient and here he was, almost forcing himself on her.

Kamui nudged him. "Are you finished?" she asked quietly.

Leo cursed how his heart started pounding at her touch. "Uh, yeah. I'm not hungry anymore," he answered.

She grabbed his hand under the table. "Let's go, then. We have a lot to talk about."

Leo didn't let go of her hand until they were in his room again. After they sat on the bed, Leo could no longer restrain himself. He wrapped his arms around her, pulled her into his lap, and held her against his chest. He buried his face in her sweet-smelling hair.

Kamui's breath caught, but she didn't pull away.

"Sorry, but I need this right now," Leo murmured in her ear.

Kamui didn't seem to know how to respond to that. "O-Okay. That's fine."

He closed his eyes and sighed. "Thank you." He relished the feel of her slender figure in his arms and her warmth against his chest. He was tempted to lay down next to her, but he knew that was definitely pushing the boundaries they'd agreed on.

After a moment, Kamui spoke again. "Um, Leo?"

"Hm?"

"Can we talk?"

"Mhmm."

"You _are_ paying attention to me, aren't you?" she demanded.

"You're the only thing on my mind right now," Leo murmured without thinking. _Ugh. That sounds so sappy. What is wrong with me today?_

"R-Right." Kamui sighed. "So I wanted to ask you: what are some things that I do to upset you? You're very patient with me, but we have had a few rough patches." When Leo didn't reply immediately, she added, "Please tell me. I want to make things better between us."

Leo really didn't want to talk about this right now, but he knew it was something they needed to discuss. Their quarrels never lasted long, but they still had their disagreements. If Kamui was willing to listen, then Leo should take this opportunity to improve their relationship. They were going to be spending the rest of their lives together, after all. He exhaled slowly. "I wish I understood why you react the way you do," he began.

"What do you mean?" Kamui asked quietly.

"Sometimes you get upset, and I don't know why. Or sometimes you get scared when I touch you, but I don't know exactly what I did wrong." Leo cringed. "And I… I _want_ you, but you don't want me, and it's maddening." He felt so horribly vulnerable admitting that to her.

Leo felt her freeze in his arms and instinctively tightened his hold on her. After he did this, he realized that might not have been the best thing to do. "I'm sorry, I-"

Kamui pulled out of his arms and looked up at his face. Her eyes weren't fearful, but they were full of concern. "What are you apologizing for?"

Leo grimaced. "Are you really going to make me say it?"

Her eyes hardened. "Yes, I am." She softened her voice. Leo felt shivers run down his spine, when she brushed her thumb across his cheekbone. "Please tell me what you're thinking right now." Her full lips were parted ever so slightly.

"I want to kiss you," was what came out of Leo's mouth. _Ugh. Stupid, stupid! I'm coming on like a wyvern in heat._

"Oh," she mouthed. Her lips formed a bashful smile, and her cheeks were rosy. "You may, if it's my permission you're asking for." She paused. "Just not like earlier; I don't think I'm ready for that yet."

Leo knew they were trying to have a serious discussion; kissing her right now wasn't the best idea. He shook his head. "No, it was an errant thought, nothing more." He swallowed. Yes, it was tempting, but he needed to have _some_ self control.

Kamui's cheeks got rosier. "Okay." Her teeth nibbled her bottom lip. "I'm sorry, but I'm still really confused, Leo."

Leo winced; he was really terrible at talking about these things. "Maybe you should do the talking, and I'll listen for now."

She laughed softly. "All right. But let me rephrase my earlier question: you'll pay attention to what I'm _saying_ , not… just on me, right?"

Leo flushed. It was pretty obvious what was on his mind right now. "Yes, I'll focus on our conversation, not… well…" He cleared his throat and glanced away in embarrassment.

She giggled and nuzzled her head into the crook of his neck. Leo thought his heart skipped a beat when he felt her soft hair caress his skin. "You're being way too adorable right now," Kamui said. She gave a small gasp when Leo embraced her and pulled her against his chest again.

"This is okay, right?" Leo asked her. "You did say that you were fine with hugging."

Kamui shifted in his arms. "This is perfectly fine, as long as you'll stay focused on the discussion."

"Hey, I promised I would and I always keep my promises."

"Okay, okay," she said. "I get it." She sighed, and Leo felt her breath brush against his neck. "So, where to begin?" she mused.

"At the beginning?"

"Oh, very helpful, Leo." He could almost hear her roll her eyes. "Okay, I'll start with what's worrying me."

"Sounds like a good starting point," Leo commented.

"Okay, how do I put this? So, I guess it's mostly the same things we talked about last week. I'm… frustrated with myself because I can't seem to figure out what I want out of this relationship." She sighed. "Part of the reason I… Well, the thing is…" She groaned. "This is really hard for me to put into words, but I think it needs to be said."

"Okay," he replied. Leo was scared about whatever she was going to admit, but he would hear her out.

"I'm… scared of intimacy," she whispered. Leo felt her shiver. "It's not that I don't want it, but I'm not ready for that yet. And, I still can't figure out what I'm comfortable with," she admitted. "You said that  you're confused, but that's because _I'm_ confused. And, well… I feel bad because I know that you want it and I'm making you wait."

Leo sighed. "And I'm probably making you feel pressured to make up your mind about it."

"Mm. Maybe a little," she confessed. "But we're married now, so it only makes sense that we would… well, you know. And I know that you're frustrated with me, but believe me, it can't compare to how frustrated I am with myself."

Hearing her talk like that was unsettling. "Kamui…"

Her voice was choked. "You probably think I'm so pathetic." Was she _crying_?

Leo stroked her hair gently. "No, Kamui, I've never thought you were pathetic… I can only imagine how difficult it is to be forced to marry _me_ , of all people," he noted with dark amusement.

Kamui gasped. "That's not what I meant, Leo."

Leo kissed the crown of her head. "Oh, I know that. This is simply my own observation from what I know about myself. I know I'm not the easiest person to get along with and I apologize for that. What I'm trying to say is that I have a lot of respect for you for doing this."

Kamui sniffled. "Well, I think you're pretty amazing for putting up with me."

Leo held her closer and brushed a kiss to her cheek. "Trust me, you are very easy to put up with. You're kind, smart, happy, gentle…" Warmth coursed through his veins. Yes, he was very lucky to be married to Kamui. "You are an incredible woman, and I…" He cut off when he realized what he was about to say.

_I love you._

He simultaneously felt giddy and ill at the thought. _Is it true? Do I actually_ love _her? This is way too fast to fall in love with someone._

Kamui lifted her head and pulled back to look into his face. Her lovely eyes were full of concern. "Leo? What's wrong?"

Leo's mouth felt too dry. There was no way he could think properly with her looking at him like that. He looked away. "Nothing. Was there anything else you needed to discuss?"

Her hand touched his cheek and forced him to look at her again. "Leo, I can tell that something has upset you," she said seriously.

Leo shook his head. "I don't want to talk about it right now." _She'll think I'm mad at her again._ "But I'm not upset with you, so please don't worry. You haven't done anything wrong," he added quickly. He pushed her away and stood up. He felt slightly dizzy and clasped his hands behind his back to keep himself in control. "I have several things to attend to, so if that'll be everything, I'll take my leave of you."

"Okay. I'll leave you be, since this is _your_ room," Kamui said quietly. She touched his shoulder lightly. "But if you want to talk to me about whatever it is, I'm happy to listen." She dropped her hand and left his bedroom.

After she closed the door, Leo sat back down on the bed and buried his head in his hands. He removed his headband and let his unkempt hair fall in his face.

_Gods above, this can't be happening._ Leo most certainly couldn't deny how much he wanted her- Kamui herself was well aware of that- but Leo knew that was attraction, not love. And he was aware that he had become quite fond of Kamui, but that didn't necessarily equate to _love._ But being around her made him happy, he realized. Very happy. _I've never felt this way about anyone before._

Regardless, Leo wouldn't dare tell Kamui anything about this. He wanted to be absolutely sure that he really was in love and not just imagining things. And he'd probably just scare her if he admitted his feelings, since there was no way she reciprocated these feelings, whatever they were.

This was definitely going to make things even more awkward between them, though.

* * *

 

After some time, someone knocked on his door. "Leo, are you in there?" That was Kamui's voice. "It's time for dinner, and everyone is wondering where you are."

It was dinnertime already? How long had it been since he'd made her leave?

"Um, I'm coming in," she said sheepishly. "I hope that's okay."

Leo jumped to his feet and clasped his hands behind his back. Hopefully that would hide their trembling.

Kamui opened the door and popped her head in the room. "Oh, you _are_ here. I thought you would have gone to the library by now." She approached him and touched his shoulder. "How are you feeling?"

_She's so kind and gentle…_ He shouldn't be this pleased that she cared about him enough to ask after his wellbeing. Leo hoped his face didn't look as warm as it felt. Leo looked over her shoulder. "I'm fine, thank you for asking."

"I'm glad to hear it." Leo gasped as she wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his chest, over his heart. There was no doubt she knew his heart was pounding at this point.

Leo carefully wrapped his arms around her slender body, but didn't hold her tighter. He didn't trust himself not to do something stupid again.

Kamui stood on her tiptoes and pecked his cheek. "Let's go to dinner. Elise wanted to come chase you down, but I volunteered to look for you. Even if you're not hungry, I'm sure she'll come bug you if you don't show up." She held his hand and intertwined their fingers.

Leo sighed. "It doesn't sound like I have a choice."

Kamui shook her head as she led him to the door. "Nope. But I'd imagine you're hungry. Lunch was a while ago now. Have you been in your room this whole time?"

"And why is that your concern?" That came out harsher than Leo had intended.

Her shoulders dropped ever so slightly. "Well, I was just wondering."

Leo grimaced; the last thing he wanted to do was upset her again. "Sorry, I didn't mean it like that. I have a lot on my mind right now, so I'm not in a very talkative mood at the moment."

She shrugged. "Okay. I did monopolize most of your time today, so I'll leave you to your thoughts. Just… thank you for spending time with me." She smiled up at him shyly. "I appreciate it."

"My pleasure." He smirked. "Just don't make a habit of it, please."

She giggled. "I'll try, but I can't make any promises. We _are_ married, after all."

Leo was all too aware of that fact, but he didn't comment on it.

* * *

 

Leo wanted to kick himself for asking Kamui to join him for a study date the next morning, but there was no way he could gracefully get out of it. And since this was their first official date, poor Leo was a bundle of nerves. To make matters worse, he was worried that he was starting to have actual romantic feelings for her- feelings that he knew she wouldn't reciprocate.

Leo didn't want to get advice from Niles or his sisters, so he found himself going to Xander for help. He and Xander had their differences, but at least Xander's mind wasn't in the gutter half of the time. And Leo was pretty certain that Xander wouldn't get overly involved, like Camilla and Elise would do.

Leo took a deep breath before knocking on Xander's door after dinner.

"Come in," Xander's voice boomed.

Leo let himself into Xander's bedroom, which was pretty similar to his own. Instead of bookshelves, Xander just had neatly organized piles of paperwork everywhere, including on his bed. _He probably sleeps with Charlotte in her bed,_ Leo guessed.

Xander glanced up from his desk, where he was working on even more paperwork. "Ah, Leo. It's good to see you, Little Brother." He smiled slightly. "It's been a while since we last talked."

Leo nodded. "My apologies, Brother. I've been quite busy ever since the engagement and wedding. Do you have time to chat right now?" A thought crossed his mind. "Actually, Charlotte isn't here, is she?" Leo murmured.

Xander raised an eyebrow. "No… Was there an issue with her?"

Leo shook his head. "No. I just don't want her privy to this conversation."

Xander set aside his work. "Now you've got my attention. What do you want to discuss?"

Leo gestured to the bed. "May I?" He sat after Xander nodded his permission. "So, I wanted to talk to you… to ask you about dating," he awkwardly began.

Xander's expression was one of total surprise. "Dating? Why? Are you thinking of having a mistress already?" He frowned in disapproval; Leo knew that Xander took vows of any sort very seriously.

Leo was taken off guard by that question. "Of course not," he snapped. His face burned with anger. "I have every intention of remaining faithful to my wife."

Xander relaxed. "Good. Sorry for asking, but I had to make sure. Not only is it dishonorable, but it could destroy relations with Hoshido."

"I can't believe you had to even ask such a thing! You should know after everything that I've gone through, that having a mistress is the last thing I intend on doing!" Leo shook his head. "No, that's _not_ what I'm talking about." He took a deep breath. "I'm just having a… date with Kamui tomorrow, so I was looking for some pointers." Now he was blushing with embarrassment. _Why did I think going to Xander was a good idea? I must be pretty desperate._

Xander coughed, as if he also found this horribly awkward, which he probably did. "Haven't you done things with Kamui before? I mean, you did spend a whole week with her in Izumo. Surely you spent some of that time with your bride."

Leo groaned and massaged his temples. "Well, yes, but that doesn't mean I really know how to..." He stopped talking when he realized that Xander was trying not to laugh at him. Leo folded his arms across his chest and glared at his older brother. "Xander, this is _not_ a laughing matter." He stood and started for the door. "You know what? Forget it. Sorry for wasting your time."

"Hold it, Leo. I am well aware this isn't a laughing matter."

Leo let go of the doorknob and turned around.

"I'm just surprised you'd take an interest in dating," Xander noted.

Leo frowned. "I think it would be prudent to improve my relationship with Kamui, especially since this is a political marriage. And, we didn't really have much of a courtship before getting married," he pointed out.

Xander rubbed his chin. "Hmm. That is a valid point." He started pacing around the room. "But wouldn't Camilla give better advice on dating?"

"Camilla tends to get overly involved," Leo muttered. He sighed. "Just tell me what you did on dates with Charlotte while you were still courting her."

For once, Xander was at a loss for words. "Well, I…" He stopped pacing and cleared his throat. "I invited her to dinner a few times. And we conversed about various topics. And she accompanied me to several formal balls."

Leo simply nodded. That sounded very much like how Xander would court someone.

"Just treat her like a lady, Leo, and I don't think you have any reason to be worried. Remember to help her get seated, to compliment her on her appearance, perhaps give her some flowers… things like that."

That sounded simple enough, and Leo thought he'd actually be able to manage that. "Thank you, Brother."

Xander nodded. "No worries, little brother. I was once in your shoes, too."

Leo raised an eyebrow. "You've been in an arranged marriage to a foreign princess you barely know?"

Xander cleared his throat. "Well, no… But I was once worried about dating, as well."

Leo had to chuckle at that. "That seems hard to believe. What lady wouldn't want to go on a date with the future king of Nohr? And you excel at everything, so I doubt it would have been a problem for you." He didn't mean to sound so bitter, but some crept into his voice anyway.

"Leo, you give me far too much credit," Xander replied cordially. "And you'll get better at this with time… By the way, what exactly are you planning for tomorrow, if you don't mind my asking?"

Leo tried to sound more confident than he felt about this. "A study date in the library."

Xander nodded. "Ah. That does sound like something you'd enjoy." He gave Leo's shoulder a squeeze. "Best of luck to you, Leo."

"Thank you, Xander."

* * *

 

Leo and Kamui's study date did not go as Leo expected. Leo himself was on time and realized his collar was on backwards before he left his room, so he was spared that embarrassment.

Kamui, however, was almost thirty minutes late. Leo was starting to wonder if she'd forgotten about their date when she dashed into the library. Her hair was slightly damp, and she was out of breath.

"Leo, I'm so sorry," she started breathlessly.

"Let me guess: you overslept again," Leo said with a slight smirk. With anyone else, he'd be annoyed at her tardiness, but he'd come to find her habit of oversleeping to be sort of endearing.

She blushed and looked down. "Sorry. I hope you weren't waiting for me too long."

"I've only been here all morning," Leo replied offhandedly. "I was expecting you at five this morning."

Kamui rolled her eyes and sat down on Leo's left. "You know very well that we agreed on ten," she reminded him. She straightened up and clasped her hands on the table. "Anyway, how did you want to do this? Did you want to study something together, or just read quietly? Or something else?"

"What would you prefer?"

She shrugged. "Whatever is fine, I guess." She grinned. "At least this time we won't be ambushed by Izana."

Leo wouldn't forget that incident anytime soon. He'd been mortified when the archduke found them kissing in the library. And several other times during their stay in Izumo. "I certainly hope he doesn't show up."

Kamui gave him a playful smile and leaned in closer. Leo caught a whiff of her rose-scented hair. "So, tell me about what you're reading," she prompted.

Leo was glad for the excuse to look away from her; he kept losing his train of thought whenever he stared into those bright, beautiful eyes. He pulled a couple of books over. "I've been studying about the history of Hoshido, actually," he said. Perhaps he'd picked that topic in hopes of getting on her good side, but Leo wasn't about to tell her that.

"Oh, I hope you're reading about an interesting part. The stuff on the economics always bored me, but I think learning about the individual people is fascinating…"

Leo mentally went over the things Xander had told him to do. _Help her get seated… No, I forgot about that... Give her flowers… I forgot that, too..._ Leo was really doing terribly at this whole dating thing. He remembered that Xander told him to compliment Kamui on her appearance. That much he could do.

"Hey, Kamui?" Leo turned and looked into her eyes.

"Yeah?"

"You, uh… I forgot to tell you that you look really beautiful," Leo stuttered. And perhaps she wasn't elegantly dressed this morning, but he still found her pretty. And it was polite to say it, nonetheless.

She just laughed at his pathetic attempts to compliment her. "Leo, I'm wearing a plain dress, and my hair is still air-drying. You flatter me, but even I'm aware that I'm not at my best this morning."

Leo felt his cheeks grow warm. He was really botching everything this morning. He tried again. "You're still beautiful, Kamui…" And she was. Even if she wore rags and had wet hair, her beauty went deeper than looks. Her beauty lay in her heart of gold, her bright smile, her patience and compassion. Leo had recognized her beauty from the moment he first laid eyes on her. "The most beautiful woman I've ever met," he accidentally said out loud.

Kamui's reaction was immediate. Her face turned a deep shade of red, and she just gaped at him in stunned silence.

_I can't believe I just said that to her._ His tongue seemed to have a mind of its own around her, and it was not a good thing. Usually all it did was make Kamui- and Leo- feel very uncomfortable. Leo meant what he said, but he hadn't meant to actually say it. _At least I didn't almost tell her that I love her again._ That had been too close of a call yesterday. And Leo didn't even know if that was true. His heart beat wildly, and his throat felt too dry. This was not going well at all.

Kamui was the one to finally break the uncomfortable silence. "Th-Thank you, Leo. That's very kind of you to say," she murmured.

Leo cleared his throat awkwardly. "How about we study our own things individually for now?" he suggested. Silence was probably the best way to continue this disaster of a date.

Kamui nodded vigorously. "That sounds great. Then we can discuss what we learned later. Perhaps over lunch?"

"I like that plan," Leo agreed.

He did try to read his book, but his thoughts kept circling back to the young woman sitting next to him. She caught him sneaking glances at her a couple of times, and each time she blushed. Leo didn't realize how much time had passed until he heard Kamui's stomach rumble.

She blushed and placed a hand on her stomach. "Uh, Leo? Do you mind if we call it a day? I think I'm a little hungry…"

"So I noticed," Leo commented wryly. He was actually quite relieved that their date was over now; it had been much more awkward than it needed to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As usual, thanks for reading! I hope this chapter wasn't too all over the place; I was starting to fall asleep while writing the last scene. Haha. So it might have been ten times more awkward than I'd intended, but oh well. It is what it is. Actually, I think poor Leo was awkward the whole chapter. Sorry, buddy!


	13. Realization

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After spending more time with Kamui, Leo comes to a terrifying realization.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I managed to get this chapter posted on time, so yay! (That's probably the first time in months.) I had fun writing this chapter, and I hope you all enjoy it. :)
> 
> (Also, Charlotte is in this one, and I know that I struggle to write her sometimes, so I'm sorry if she's a little out of character. I did my best, though!)

Leo didn't see much of his wife until court the next afternoon. And it was horribly obvious that Camilla had had a hand in choosing Kamui's outfit again. This gown was silvery blue with a low neckline. It was backless and exposed her pale skin from her shoulders down to her waist. Of course she looked beautiful in it, but Leo was furious that Camilla would make Kamui wear such a thing at court, especially in front of all of these men who saw her as a pretty plaything. Leo knew it was highly unlikely, but he did worry if one of them would steal her from him.

As if she could sense his underlying concern, Kamui came straight over to him. She smiled. "Mind if I join you?"

Leo shrugged. "If you insist."

Her smiled widened. "Thanks." She hooked her arm through his. "So, can you get me up to speed on everything? Elise didn't give me a ton of explanation the other day," she whispered.

Leo swallowed, remembering why it had been Elise by her side instead of him during her first session of court. Well, he'd make it up to her now. "Of course," he replied. "Father usually opens the court session with a speech and whatever announcements he wants to make. Then, petitions and cases from nobles are presented. After that, if someone new officially joins the court, that's the time they are introduced formally to the court. Then, affairs with commoners are handled. That's pretty much it, at least of what happens on the surface."

"And what happens under the surface?"

Leo leaned closer to her and lowered his voice even more. "Mostly what I told you about before. Court intrigue- alliances are made and broken, gossip spreads… Camilla could give you more details. But the majority of nobles don't actually pay attention to the proceedings of the court."

Kamui frowned slightly. "That's ridiculous. Why do they even bother showing up, then?"

"Honestly, it's just a social gathering disguised as a means of governing the kingdom. It makes me sick," Leo muttered. "Like I said, things are really messed up around here. Sorry you got dragged into this."

Kamui shrugged. "It's fine, really." Her brow furrowed. "Well, not that this corruption is happening, but it is interesting to see how other kingdoms govern their land. What do _you_ usually do when court is in session?"

"Contrary to what you may think, I do try to pay attention to the proceedings of the court.  I am a prince and though it is unlikely, I _could_ end up ruling the kingdom someday. And these are my people; it is my duty to serve and listen to them."

Kamui's lips curved into a sweet smile, and her warm eyes met his. Leo couldn't figure out how to breathe for a moment. "That's very responsible of you. I can tell that you really love Nohr and your people." She leaned her head against his shoulder. "I really admire that about you," she added quietly.

Leo wasn't quite sure how to respond to that comment. Hopefully she couldn't hear how his heart was hammering in his chest. He released the breath he'd been holding. "Speaking of, I'd appreciate it if you'd allow me to focus."

"Oh, sorry. I'll be quiet now."

Leo would have much rather given Kamui his undivided attention, but that would be a very poor decision right now. He needed to set an example for Kamui of what it meant to be a royal of Nohr. Also, he wanted Kamui's faith in him to be justified.

The petitions of the noblemen today were mostly about getting more financing for their lands. (In most cases, Leo felt that was just an excuse to steal money from the people.)

Kamui seemed especially interesting in one of the later petitions. This petition came from a lesser nobleman from the western border named Theo. He and his wife had come in the other day with a petition for more border guards. Today was the follow-up on whether or not troops would be sent to the border.

"Oh, I met Theo and Emma the other day," Kamui whispered excitedly. "They're so kind." She looked up at Leo. "Do you think your father will grant their petition?"

Leo sighed. No, he did not think Father would. He didn't want to crush Kamui's hopes, though. "We're about to find out," he murmured.

Lord Theo bowed before the King, and his wife swept into a low curtsey. "Your Majesty," Theo addressed the sovereign.

Father gestured for the couple to rise. "Lord Theo, after consulting with my advisors, I have decided not to grant your petition for more guards at the western border. Our neighbors on that front do not present enough of a threat."

Kamui let out a soft gasp. "No, why would he do that?"

Lord Theo humbled accepted Father's decision and was dismissed from the throne room. The next nobleman was admitted to speak with the King.

Leo leaned closer to Kamui and whispered in her ear, "Father prefers to keep the troops near the capital to keep the nobles in check." He glanced around them to see if anyone was eavesdropping. "It would be better to discuss this in private," he murmured.

Kamui frowned. "Are you serious? Instead of protecting the people, your father uses the military to… to… Ow!"

Leo subtly kicked her shin. "Kamui, this is not the time or place to talk about this. Please keep your voice down."

"Aren't we allowed to voice our opinions, though? So as to offer more perspectives and ideas for the King to consider," Kamui insisted.

"I understand what you're saying," Leo replied. "But trust me, countering the King in court like this is not a good idea. You don't want to get on Father's bad side."

Kamui pursed her lips, but said nothing.

After court concluded, she spoke again. "Leo, I'd like to have a word with you in private," she murmured.

Leo suppressed a sigh. It looked like he'd upset her again. "I have some business to attend to, but I have time this evening after dinner."

She nodded tersely. "I'll hold you to that." Her eyes narrowed. "And in the future, please don't kick me."

_Oh. That's why she's mad._

"My apologies, Princess," Leo whispered. "Now, if you'll excuse me." He gave her a slight bow before approaching a few noblemen whom he had promised to meet with.

* * *

 

She was waiting for Leo in his bedroom that evening after dinner. She wore her black nightgown again. Her arms were folded across her chest. Without consciously doing it, Leo's eyes looked her up and down, admiring her figure. His cheeks warmed. _Stop that. You're here to talk, no stare at her like a lovesick fool._

"Leo," she greeted him in a steady voice.

"Kamui, I see you've made yourself comfortable," he noted.

"You're the one who told me to make myself comfortable here," she said defensively.

Leo sat next to her. "Yes, I did. I'm glad you listened to me."

She met his gaze levelly. "I did. Will you do me the favor of listening to me?" She seemed to have calmed down a little since the afternoon. That was good.

He nodded. "Of course, my dear. I'll always listen to you."

She searched his face with wide eyes. "Really? What about earlier?"

Leo swallowed nervously. He thought he knew what she was referring to, but he had to be sure. "Earlier?"

Her lips quivered. "You _kicked_ me," she accused. "When I tried to talk to you in the throne room."

His heart sank. Yes, he had definitely upset her. He took her hands in each of his. "Kamui, I'm sorry for doing that." He sighed. "Looking back, I could have handled that better. However, if it keeps you safe, I'd do it again."

The corners of her mouth turned downward. "Keep me safe? What are you talking about?"

"Maybe I wasn't clear enough before about the situation here. You have to be careful what you do and say in court. Everyone is watching and listening. If anyone heard you doubting Father's decisions, it wouldn't be good for you or for relations with Hoshido." He gave her hands a squeeze. "Can you see why that would be the case?"

Kamui was quiet for a moment. "It would make it appear that I don't support the King or Nohr. And people here associate me with Hoshido. Everything I do reflects on my home. It could sour relations between Nohr and Hoshido."

"Precisely. I'm glad you can see as much," Leo replied. "And if you're too vocal in your opposition, you could invoke Father's wrath," he warned.

She inhaled sharply. That obviously hadn't crossed her mind.

Leo continued, "He does have a bit of a temper. And if Father got angry with you, I don't know if there's much I could do to protect you." He cringed at the thought. What _would_ happen if she got on Father's bad side?

Her eyes hardened. "But I still think your father's reasoning for withholding troops from the border is not sound. Your people need to be protected. And if what you told me is true, then your father is only keeping the troops here to keep the court in check. I simply cannot remain silent when I see injustice."

"I know, Kamui, but it is my duty as your husband to ensure your safety," Leo said gently. "And speaking out against Father, especially in court, will endanger you."

"But-"

Leo pressed a finger to her lips. "However, I respect your opinions, Kamui, so please feel free to share anything with me, but only in the privacy of our rooms." Without a second thought, Leo pulled her into his arms and buried his face in the crook of her neck. He needed to feel her, to know that she was safe.

_I love her._ The thought came unbidden.

"I couldn't bear it if anything were to happen to you," he murmured in her ear. "So please be careful."

Kamui gently wrapped her arms around his neck. Her fingers tickled the hair at the nape of his neck, and Leo swore his heart skipped a beat.

_I really do love her._ There was no point in denying it now. And it was terrifying.

"Leo…" she breathed. "I'm sorry for worrying you. I promise I'll be more careful in the future."

He held her tightly. "Thank you." He had the overwhelming desire to kiss her. He pulled back and looked into her face. He ran his thumb over her lips. "May I?" he whispered.

Kamui's cheeks turned pink. She just nodded and leaned closer to him.

Leo tilted her face up and then pressed his lips to hers. He closed his eyes and just kissed her tenderly. Perhaps that could convey how precious she was to him.

When they broke apart, Leo couldn't keep the grin off his face. "Kamui, I-" He caught himself at the last minute. _I love you._ Gods, he'd almost confessed again. He swallowed hard. "Thank you," he finally said.

Kamui giggled. "Leo, I didn't do anything."

"Stay with me tonight?" Leo blurted out.

Her eyes widened, and she held trembling fingers to her gaping mouth.

_I'm such a fool! I didn't mean to scare her like that._

Leo pushed her away. "Kamui, I… I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"

Kamui regained her composure. "Leo, it's okay." She glanced away. "I don't think I'm quite ready for that, though." Her cheeks were rosy again. "I don't think I'd get much sleep if I did that. Um… Is there anything else we need to discuss?"

"No, I don't believe so," Leo replied slowly. "You're probably tired. I'll let you get some sleep."

Kamui nodded. "That's probably for the best." To Leo's surprise, she gave him a quick kiss. "Goodnight, Leo."

"Goodnight, Kamui."

The young woman left the prince alone, totally oblivious to what she was doing to his heart.

_I'm not going to tell her,_ Leo decided. _She has enough to deal with right now, and I'd only frighten her._ Besides, there was no way Kamui would reciprocate any of these feelings. Hopefully Leo could keep this a secret from her and from everyone else.

* * *

 

Kamui struggled to fall asleep that night. Leo's invitation to spend the night with him had set her heart racing, and she couldn't seem to calm herself down. She'd hoped after their discussion the other day that he wouldn't be quite so… bold.

Apparently that wasn't going to change any time soon. She wasn't against the idea of being more intimate with her husband, but she was scared silly. She'd always imagined that when that time came, she'd be in love with her husband, that she'd have more of an emotional connection with him. And while they'd gotten to know each other better over the past months, she didn't feel like their relationship was at that level quite yet.

Leo had made it quite clear that he had every intention of consummating their marriage, but he'd wait until she felt ready. Since he'd asked her to stay with him tonight, it was now up to her to decide if they'd take that next step. She didn't think Leo was angry or too disappointed with her refusal to sleep with him. Actually, he'd seem horrified that he'd even suggested it.

_I think we're both just scared silly._

Their date the other morning was evidence of that. Kamui had certainly been nervous because this was their first date they'd planned in advance. And neither of them seemed to know what they were doing. In the end, they'd just quietly read next to each other, instead of actually interacting. They were practically hopeless.

And they'd had another argument today, which added to Kamui's distress. When they were in agreement, she felt like she got along with Leo just fine. But when they disagreed on something, she felt like they still struggled to resolve it. Their quarrels never lasted long, but they still left her feeling frustrated and hurt. Today especially since Leo had actually kicked her. He'd apologized, and she'd forgiven him, but a small part of her did wonder if something like that would happen again.

_Leo doesn't seem like someone who would be physically abusive, though._ No, he'd acted more out of fear for her safety than anything else; he hadn't meant to harm her in any way. Leo hadn't ever acted maliciously towards Kamui since she'd met him, and she trusted that he wouldn't intentionally hurt her. To be honest, their problems seemed to stem from stress, fear, and miscommunication.

_Remember that you've only been married for… how many days again? Twelve? No, fourteen. That's only two weeks._ It felt like the time had flown by, though. But it really hadn't been that much time, and they had come a long way since they'd first met. With time, they'd resolve their current issues; Kamui just needed to be more patient.

With that in mind, Kamui was eventually able to drift off into a dreamless sleep.

***

A couple of days later, Kamui woke up to the sweet scent of roses. She opened her eyes and blinked a few times before focusing on the bouquet of red and pink roses on her nightstand.

There was a tap at the door. "Lady Kamui, may I come in?" Felicia asked. "I'm here to help you get ready for the day."

Kamui cleared her throat before speaking. "Yes, Felicia, please come in."

The bubbly maid bounded into the room with a spring in her step. "Good morning, Lady Ka-" She gasped when she noticed the flowers. "Oh! Someone gave you a bouquet!" She lightly stroked a pink petal. "They're lovely."

Kamui suppressed a yawn and rubbed her eyes. "You didn't bring them in, then?" she asked.

"Oh, no. I haven't been in here since I helped you prepare for bed last night." Felicia glanced at Leo's bedroom door. "Do you think Lord Leo left them for you?" she whispered.

That had been Kamui's initial thought. "Maybe," she answered just as quietly. She came closer to inspect the bouquet. "Is there a note?"

"Hmm…" Felicia picked up the bouquet to check, but the glass vase slipped from her fingers, and she struggled to maintain a grip on it. "Oh! Oh!" she gasped. The vase tipped in her hands, and the water and roses fell on the floor by Kamui's bed. "Oh no! I'm so sorry, Lady Kamui!"

Kamui sighed. This was becoming a regular occurrence, unfortunately. "It's okay, Felicia. I know you didn't mean to drop it." She squatted on the floor and began to place the delicate flowers back in the vase. "At least the vase didn't break," she said positively. She spotted a piece of paper. Its corner was damp, but it was still legible.

_Dear Kamui,_

_I want to apologize for the other day. It was never my intention to make you feel uncomfortable in any way. Please accept this gift from me._

_-Leo_

Kamui was delighted to receive flowers from her husband again, but she was sad that their disagreement was still weighing on Leo's mind, too.

"Well… does it say who they're from?" Felicia asked excitedly.

Kamui smiled softly and glanced at Leo's door. "They're from Leo."

Felicia clapped her hands in excitement. "Oh, that's so sweet, Lady Kamui! He must have brought them in while you were sleeping."

"Yeah…"

Kamui wanted to speak to Leo as soon as possible, but she knew she ought to get dressed while Felicia was still here. _Well, Leo could help me, but…_ Kamui shook her head; that thought wasn't going anywhere good, and it would just give him the wrong impression.

"Felicia, could you help me change into my red dress?"

"Of course, milady." Felicia talked while she helped Kamui change. "So, what are you going to do?"

"Well, I'll see if I can speak to Leo, and then I'll go to breakfast." Kamui tried to remember what else she had going on today. "Oh, and I told Charlotte I would have tea with her, so I have that today, too… And I should probably go to court this afternoon." If she wanted to improve things in the government, then it was critical that she attended court as much as possible.

"Well, let me know if I can assist you in any way," Felicia said as she finished pinning up Kamui's hair.

Kamui turned in her seat and smiling up at her new friend. "Thank you, Felicia… I'll leave you to your duties now."

She took a deep breath before knocking on Leo's door. There was no answer.

"Um, Leo? Are you in there?" Kamui called out.

No response.

"Uh, I'm coming in, so I hope that's okay," Kamui continued. She hesitantly opened the door. To her disappointment, Leo was absent. His bed was made, so he'd probably been up for awhile again. She sighed. "I guess I'll talk to him later," she muttered before closing the door.

She plucked a red rose from her bouquet and twirled it in her fingers. Felicia had left, but if Kamui hurried, she could still catch her. She found the maid out in the hallway.

"Felicia, wait!" Kamui called.

Felicia stopped and turned around. "Lady Kamui, is everything all right?" she asked in confusion.

Kamui nodded. "Everything's fine." She held up the rose. "Um… I was wondering if you could help me pin this in my hair."

She was aware that other servants were eying their exchange curiously. They probably thought she was being silly for running out of her room to ask for help with something so trivial.

"Oh, of course," Felicia answered quickly. She broke the rose off its stem and carefully pinned it in her bun. "Is that good?"

Kamui felt the delicate rose with her fingers. "Yes, that's perfect. Thank you, Felicia. I'll let you get back to work."

* * *

 

Kamui was disappointed when she leaned that Leo had already eaten his breakfast. Actually, only Xander and Charlotte were there. She was surprised to see Xander at breakfast so late; normally, he tended to get an early start on the day, like Leo did.

"Kamui, won't you join us?" Xander asked politely.

She took her usual seat at the table. "Yes, thank you." She started dishing up scrambled eggs and toast on her plate. She'd actually taken quite a liking to the Nohrian cuisine.

"How are you, Kamui?" Charlotte asked brightly. "You look absolutely _gorgeous_ in that dress."

Xander glanced at his wife. "Charlotte, you can be yourself around Kamui; remember, she's family now."

Charlotte visibly relaxed at that. "Good. I was getting so tired of keeping up the appearances." She rolled her shoulders. "I try to act more ladylike around most people," she explained to Kamui. She wrinkled her nose. "But I'm really no lady. Court life just feels so fake sometimes," she grumbled.

Kamui blinked in surprise. Charlotte's "true" personality was drastically different from the façade she showed the world. "I can agree with you there," she commented after a moment. "I've only been in the Nohrian court for about a week, and it can be quite exhausting."

"See? I told you that you'd get along with Kamui," Xander told his wife.  He turned to Kamui, who had started eating her meal. "So how are you adjusting to life in Nohr?" he asked.

Kamui finished chewing before answering. "I'm getting along. There are so many people to keep track of, and it can be a lot to take in. Leo has been helping me, though."

Charlotte snorted. "So he's actually paying attention to you? That's a relief. Leo can be such a pain in the butt sometimes." Kamui was shocked that she would speak so negatively about Xander's brother in front of him.

Her shock must have been evident on her face because Xander leaned closer and said, "Charlotte and Leo have gotten into a few disagreements."

"Oh," was all Kamui could say.

An uncomfortable silence settled over them after that. Xander was the one to break it. "So, Kamui, what do you like to do?"

Kamui was grateful for the change of topic. "Well, I like reading-"

Charlotte made an unladylike snort. "I bet Leo loves that," she muttered.

She fell silent when Xander gave her a look. "Please continue," he said politely.

Kamui nodded. "Right. I also like visiting new places and being out in nature, sparring, spending time with my family-"

Xander was the one to interrupt her this time. "You say you like sparring?" There was an excited gleam in his eyes.

Kamui nodded. "Yes. Ryoma- my brother- helped me train with the katana since I was a child." She smiled slightly. "I should probably get into a routine again. He said that he'll test my skills when I see him again."

"Keeping your skills up is probably wise," Xander commented. "I am also trained in combat, but in long swords. Perhaps you'd like to show me how to properly use a katana sometime?" he offered. "I think it would be beneficial for both of us."

Kamui smiled. "Of course. I'd be delighted to. And could you help me with long swords? I've practiced some, but I'm not very proficient."

Xander chuckled. "I wish my siblings would show the same enthusiasm for learning swordsmanship." He glanced at Charlotte. "It would be good for you to learn, too, dear."

Charlotte grinned. "You looking forward to having your butt whipped again? You're the one asking for it…" She kind of reminded Kamui of Hinoka, except she seemed to care about maintaining a ladylike persona more than Hinoka did. Or at least, Charlotte was better at faking it.

"I think that would be fun," Kamui said. It would be a good opportunity to get to know her in-laws better, especially since they were the future king and queen of Nohr.

Charlotte snickered. "You think it would be fun to get your butt whipped?" she teased.

Kamui realized how silly her remark had been. She shook her head. "No… I think it would be fun to watch you cream Xander," she replied with a smirk.

Charlotte nodded appreciatively. "I like her," she told Xander.

"Oh! And maybe I can talk Leo into joining us," Kamui suggested.

"That would be excellent if you could," Xander replied. "I haven't trained much with my brother since he was about thirteen."

Kamui cocked her head to the side. "Wait, doesn't he train regularly? He doesn't seem the sort of person to slack off…"

"Not with the sword, he doesn't," Xander said. "He focuses most of his training on magic."

Kamui nodded. "That doesn't surprise me too much. Well, I'll do the best I can to convince him." She knew that Leo would only train with them if he wanted to; there was no way she could force him to do it.

Charlotte laughed. "Just use your feminine charms on him, and you'll have him eating out of the palm of your hand." She winked at Kamui.

_Wait, is she implying that I_ seduce _him?_ The scary thing was that if Kamui actually tried it, she'd probably succeed. Not that she was going to even attempt to seduce Leo.

Charlotte giggled at Kamui's befuddled expression. "Don't worry. You're married now, so it's not like you're doing anything wrong."

Kamui's blush deepened. She wondered if Xander and Charlotte suspected that she and Leo still hadn't consummated their marriage. _Camilla probably knows,_ she realized with a wave of horror. _Oh, this is so embarrassing…_

"Shall we plan on training tomorrow morning?" Xander suggested, tactfully steering them away from that disaster.

"Yes," Kamui agreed gratefully. "I'll talk to Leo about it today." She stood to leave. "It was nice having breakfast with both of you. We're still having tea, right, Charlotte?"

"Oh, most definitely," Charlotte answered. "I'm looking forward to it."

* * *

 

The rest of the day passed in a blur for Kamui. Now that Charlotte was warming up to her, Kamui felt like they were becoming friends. Court was pretty similar to the other sessions she'd attended, but Kamui noticed that Leo was absent. _That's odd. I wonder where he is…_ She would have gone looking for him after court ended, but she got into a deep discussion with a duchess from up north.

Kamui was finally leaving the throne room when a dark-haired mage approached her. "Princess Kamui, may I have a word?" He bowed. Kamui had the feeling he was mocking her.

She smiled politely. "Of course. I don't believe we've met yet…"

The mage gave her an eerie grin. "My name is Iago. I am one of King Garon's most trusted retainers."

Kamui inclined her head slightly. "Pleased to meet you, Iago."

"Truly a pleasure." Iago sounded as if speaking with her was anything but pleasant. "Well, I just thought I ought check in on King Garon's newest daughter-in-law… Also, a word of warning, Princess. There are those who wish to see you removed from Castle Krakenburg. Do try not to give them a reason to… dispose of you."

Kamui felt a chill run down her spine at the not so subtle threat. "I'll keep that in mind," she replied. "Was there anything else you wished to discuss?"

"Not at the moment, milady." Iago gave her another bow and left her alone.

_That was weird. And a little creepy._

By that point, it was dinnertime, so Kamui abandoned her original plan of looking for Leo. To her relief, he was at his usual place at the dinner table. There were dark circles under his eyes, and he wore dark traveling clothes. Seeing him again made her heart soar, and she forgot about her unpleasant encounter with Iago.

"Leo!" She rushed to his side and pulled him into a tight embrace.

Leo paused briefly before returning her hug. She felt warm and safe in his arms. "Hello, Kamui," he greeted her.

"Where have you been? I've been wondering where you were all day," Kamui said in a rush. "Not that I was worried," she added. "I wanted to thank you for the roses. They're beautiful."

She felt Leo touch the rose in her hair. "I'm glad you like them," he said. She was a tad disappointed when he let go of her. "And to answer your question, Father gave me a mission, so I was out of the capital for most of the day." He lowered his voice. "And I'm a bit hungry, so if you'd permit me to eat dinner…"

Kamui got the hint and let go of him. "Oops. Sorry. I'm just really happy to see you."

His small smile made her heart skip a beat. "It's good to see you, too."

Kamui took her seat next to him and leaned closer to speak to him."Are you busy after dinner?" she whispered.

Leo sipped his wine. "I have a debriefing with Father and Iago, but after that, I'm free."

Kamui remembered her conversation with the King's retainer and frowned. "Iago," she repeated flatly.

Leo quirked an eyebrow. "Yes. He's Father's retainer and right hand man." He studied her expression. "What's wrong? Did something happen?" he asked quietly.

Kamui pushed peas around her plate with her fork. "I don't think Iago likes me very much," she muttered.

"Iago doesn't like anyone very much, except for Father," Leo told her. "Don't worry too much about it."

Kamui nodded. Leo did know Iago better than she did, so he was probably right. The man still put her on edge, though.

"What are you two whispering about?" Elise's sudden question startled Kamui. "I'm bored sitting over here by myself while you ignore everyone else."

Kamui felt terrible for making Elise feel excluded. "Sorry, Elise." She glanced over at Leo again. "We just have some things we need to discuss." She leaned over to Leo and whispered, "We can talk after your debriefing, right?"

Leo nodded. "Of course."

Kamui smiled. "Great." She returned her attention to Elise. "So tell me how your day was, Elise," she said, which sparked a conversation about artwork and music.

* * *

 

Leo's debriefing too much longer than Kamui had expected. And after her long day, she found herself starting to doze off on Leo's bed. Somehow she managed to keep herself awake until Leo arrived. He looked as exhausted as she felt.

He sat down on the bed and mumbled, "Hey."

Kamui yawned and sat up. "Hi." She rested her head on Leo's shoulder.

Leo wrapped an arm around her shoulders and held her closer. He rested his head on top of hers. He just held her like that for a few moments.

"How was your day?" Kamui asked.

Leo sighed. "Fine, but it was very long. I would have much rather have been here with you." He pressed a kiss to her cheek.

Kamui's face warmed at his sudden affection, and she couldn't stop keep herself from smiling. "I missed you, you know," she murmured.

Leo chuckled deep in his throat, which Kamui found very attractive for some reason. "That's a relief. I'm surprised you even noticed I was gone."

She crawled into his lap and kissed him sweetly. "Of course I'd notice if you were gone," she said. "You're my husband, silly."

Poor Leo's face was as red as a tomato. He cleared his throat nervously. "That… that is true…" he stuttered.

Kamui giggled at his obvious discomfort and embraced him again. This time he was quick to return the hug, and she relished the warmth of his embrace. "Will you let me know when you're leaving again?" she asked quietly.

Her ear was pressed against his chest, and she heard his pulse start to quicken. "I'll do my best," Leo answered. "Today's mission was a last minute notice, so I didn't have the opportunity to. I apologize if I worried you."

"I wasn't too worried," Kamui said quickly. She didn't want him to think she was super clingy. "How often do you leave on missions?"

Leo shrugged. "It depends. Sometimes more often than others. This was my first mission since our engagement, though."

"Mm. What was your mission?"

Leo took a breath to answer, but was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Leo? Are you in there?" Xander called out. "I'd like to have a word with you."

Leo let out a frustrated sigh. "One moment, please!" he called to Xander. He returned his attention to Kamui. "You should probably head to bed," he murmured. He tucked her hair behind her ear. "Sorry for kicking you out like this."

Kamui gave him a reassuring smile. "It's okay, Leo. I understand. And I am actually really tired." She kissed his cheek. "Goodnight."

Leo smiled wearily. "Goodnight, dear."

Kamui leaned against the door after she returned to her room. She couldn't keep the grin off her face and pressed her hand to her pounding heart.   _I think I really like him. More than I've ever liked anyone before… I might actually be falling in love with him._ The thought was thrilling, but terrifying.


	14. Stay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A month into their marriage, Kamui receives some unsettling news from home.

In the few weeks following her arrival in Nohr, Kamui slowly began to adjust to her new life. She attended the King's court several times a week. She was careful not to be too vocal about her opinions, at least within earshot of others. Leo got to hear plenty of that in their alone time together in the evenings. True to his word, Leo listened to everything she said.

It was soon obvious that they had very different viewpoints. Leo's approach to matters was pragmatic, whereas Kamui tried to find the more compassionate and peaceful solutions to problems. They both had a desire to do the right thing, so they at least had that as a common goal.

Aside from their chats in the evenings and during meals, Kamui didn't see too much of her husband. Leo was busy working on a couple of research projects with the Mage Academy, so he was away most of the time.

Kamui spent her time with his sisters, learning the ways of the Nohrian court, and meeting the nobles of the court. On the surface, people were fairly friendly to her, but Kamui still worried that she was inadvertently making enemies with the other nobles. Camilla and Elise were completely positive that everyone would adore her, but Kamui had her doubts. Leo's warnings about how people did not approve of their marriage kept coming back to her.

Before she'd realized it, Kamui and Leo had their one-month anniversary. Well, not that anyone made a big deal out of it, but it was evidence that time was passing. Leo did give her a bouquet of white lilies, which she thought was sweet.

It was a few days afterwards that Kamui received word from Hoshido again. She'd exchanged a few letters with her family over the last few weeks, but today was the first time Ryoma had written her since his first letter almost a month ago.

She was having tea with Camilla, Elise, and Charlotte when the mail came. Her sister-in-laws had also received letters and were reading them.

Kamui began to read Ryoma's letter:

_Dearest Kamui,_

_I hope you are well, Sister, and keeping up with your training. You are sorely missed in Hoshido, but I am proud of your sacrifice to strengthen our relationship with Nohr._

_I wish I could say all is well at home, but there is some news I must share with you. Now, I know that you tend to get emotional, so please sit down and read the rest of this letter in a private place._

Kamui suddenly felt very cold. She forced herself to fold the letter again, until she could read it in a more secluded location.

"Kamui, is everything all right, dear?" Camilla asked, looking up from her letters. "You've turned quite pale."

Both Elise and Charlotte focused on Kamui.

"Oh, are you ill, Big Sister?" Elise asked with concern.

Kamui stood. "I… don't know. I think I need some air, so if you'll excuse me." She left Camilla's sitting room before any of the other women could reply.

She walked quickly back to her room, sat on her bed, and opened the letter again. The paper shook in her trembling hands.

_I hope you heeded my advice, Sister, because I have some unfortunate news about Orochi. She's going to be fine, but she lost the baby about a week ago._

Kamui covered her mouth and felt tears fill her eyes. She wiped them away and kept reading.

_Orochi is recovering right now from the ordeal. It has taken a more emotional toll on her, as is unsurprising. The healers say she will make a full recovery and that we can try again for a child in the future._

_Please do not be alarmed by this news. I know you, and I know you will take it harder than you should. Stay strong. Our family is going to be fine. Please write and let me know you  received this letter._

_Your brother,_

_Ryoma_

The letter fell listlessly from Kamui's hand. She covered her face with her hands and just sobbed.  She'd been so happy for Ryoma and Orochi, and their loss was painful. _My little niece or nephew is… gone. Ryoma didn't tell me how he's doing; he only mentioned that Orochi is struggling, but I know he's hurting, too. I have to go home; they need me! I have to make sure Orochi and Ryoma are okay._

Kamui couldn't find it in herself to write a reply to her brother yet, and she didn't feel like reading her other letters from her mother and Sakura. She didn't attend dinner that evening, opting to remain alone in her bedroom.

At some point after she should have gone to dinner, there was a knock at her door.

"Wh-Who is it?" she called.

"Kamui, it's me," Leo answered. "May I come in?"

She sat up and tried to make herself look semi-presentable. She hoped she didn't look like she'd been crying. "Yes, that's fine."

Leo entered her room, carrying a plate with a ham, cheese, and tomato sandwich. He wore black pants and a casual dark shirt. "Hey, I… uh… brought you some dinner," he said quietly.

Kamui smiled wistfully. "Thank you, Leo. That's very thoughtful of you." She patted the spot next to her on the bed. "You can sit, if you like."

Leo sat next to her and offered her the plate. Kamui took it and nibbled at the sandwich. She didn't have much of an appetite tonight, but she didn't want to seem rude.

Leo cleared his throat nervously. "So… how are you feeling?"

Kamui finished chewing before answering. "I'm doing okay." Her throat tightened as she recalled the contents of Ryoma's letter. "I just heard some unsettling news from home."

Leo rested a hand on her shoulder. "What happened?"

Kamui set aside her dinner and sighed. She balled her hands in her lap. "It's Orochi," she began softly. "I told you that she was going to have a baby, right?"

Leo gave her shoulder a small squeeze. "Yes, you did tell me about that." He seemed to know where this was going.

Kamui swallowed past the lump in her throat. "Well, I got a letter from Ryoma today, and he told me that Orochi lost the baby."

"Kamui…"

Kamui looked into his eyes. They were full of warmth, pity, and other emotions she couldn't read.

 "Orochi's fine, or at least she's going to be," she added quickly. "She's going to make a full recovery, so there's no permanent damage. And Ryoma's strong, so I know he can get through it. And he didn't mention the rest of the family, but I'm sure they'll be okay, so I'm… I'm…"

_Be strong, like Ryoma told you to be,_ she reminded herself. _You're just overreacting… But I need to talk about this with someone._ She blinked and didn't hold back the tear that rolled down her cheek. "It hurts," she gasped before trying to stifle her sob. "Sorry, you probably don't want to hear about this right now, but I-"

She gasped as she was enfolding by the warmth of Leo's arms. "Come here," he said gently. "I'm here for you."

She collapsed into his embrace and buried her face in his chest. "L-Leo…" Her body shook with her sobs, and he held her closer. He ran a hand soothingly up and down her back. "Sh. It's going to be okay."

Kamui wrapped her arms around his torso and held him tighter. He grunted softly, but responded in kind, tightening his hold on her. Kamui's tears subsided after a couple of minutes, but she didn't let go of him. She just wanted to stay like that, safe and warm in his arms. She closed her eyes and listened to the steady beating of his heart.

"Thank you, Leo," she whispered, "for being here, for listening, for bringing me dinner-" Her stomach chose that time to remind her that she hadn't eaten said dinner yet.

Leo chuckled softly. "Hungry, my dear?"

She sighed. "Yeah. I should probably eat."

He let go of her, and she instantly missed his warmth. "Yes, you should," he agreed. "I know you'd probably prefer something from Hoshido, but I only know how to prepare Nohrian food."

Kamui turned to face him. "Wait, _you_ made this?"

Leo's cheeks reddened, and he rubbed the back of his neck. "Don't look so shocked. I'm no chef, but I can at least make a sandwich. I hope it's to your liking… Wait, why are you looking at me like that?"

Kamui couldn't hide her smile. "That's so sweet."

To her glee, Leo just got more flustered. He ran his hand through his hair and avoided her gaze. "It's just a sandwich, Kamui."

She giggled, but stopped when he shot her a glare. "Sorry, it's just…" She shook her head. "Never mind."

He sighed. "Just eat your dinner."

She took a big bite of the sandwich and hummed contentedly. "So good…"

Leo scoffed. "You're just saying that."

"No, I'm not. It _is_ good." She would have argued her point further, but she was pretty hungry, so she just ate her dinner instead.

When she finished, she pecked Leo's cheek. "Thank you." She hugged him again and rested her head on his shoulder.

Leo gently returned her hug. "No thanks needed."

Kamui yawned. Leo pulled away. "You should get some sleep."

Kamui shook her head. "No, I'm not…" she suppressed another yawn. "…tired."

Leo chuckled. "You're not making a very convincing argument." He pressed his lips to her forehead. "Don't worry: your family is going to be all right. I'll take my leave of you, so you can rest."

* * *

 

Despite the fact that Kamui was tired, she couldn't fall asleep. Thoughts of her family kept running through her mind. Leo's presence had helped calm her fears, but now she felt alone again. She was trying to make a new life here in Nohr, but she still felt so far away from the home she'd known her whole life. Nohr was a good place, but it didn't have the same warmth as Hoshido did. Except…

Except when she was in _his_ arms. She felt warm just thinking about it. She imagined curling up close to him. Just being near him would being comforting. She shivered at the thought.

_I… I could do it. I could go to him. He'd be in bed right now._

Without consciously deciding, she got out of bed and walked over to his door. She froze. _What am I doing? Leo's going to get the wrong impression._ She exhaled slowly. _If I don't wake him, he doesn't have to know. I'd just stay for a little bit, then leave. We_ are _married, so it's not like I'm doing anything improper._

With that in mind, Kamui quietly opened the door to his bedroom. It was dark, and she could hear Leo's steady breathing. _Good. He's asleep._ She padded barefoot over to his bed. He was sleeping on the left side of the bed, so she crawled under the covers on the right side.

She couldn't stop her trembling as she lay on her back. Her heart was beating much too quickly. _This was a mistake. I should leave._

Leo rolled over in his sleep, and Kamui froze. The next thing she knew, Leo was sitting over her, his tome open, and violet magic ready in his hand.

She didn't speak, didn't dare to breathe. She felt like her heart was about to burst from her chest.

After several heartbeats, Leo slowly lowered his tome, and the magic dissipated from his hand, plunging them into the dark again. He spoke in a level voice. "Kamui. What are you doing here?"

She couldn't find the words to answer him. She was still shaking like a leaf in the wind, and her breath came out in jagged gasps.

_This was a really bad idea. Of course he'd be angry with me for sneaking into his bed without permission._

After it was apparent that Kamui wasn't going to say anything, Leo sighed. "Kamui, I'm not going to hurt you… I've had assassins try to kill me in my sleep before, so I just assumed…"

Wait. He thought she was trying to _assassinate_ him?

There was a tense silence, then he spoke again. "Kamui, are you okay?"

No, she was definitely not okay. She covered her mouth and tried to stifle the quiet sob that burst through her lips. She cried softly into her hands. _Why did I think this was a good idea again?_ The answer was simple: she'd just wanted to be near him again, to have him hold her.

And he'd almost attacked her.

She hadn't expected her _husband_ of all people to attack her. He'd explained what he'd been thinking, so she knew he hadn't meant to harm her. And he hadn't. So why was she so upset? Nothing had happened; it was just a little scare.

Leo inhaled sharply. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"N-No…"

He sighed in relief. "Good. I don't think I could forgive myself if I…" He sighed. "Kamui, I'm sorry. I never meant to frighten you."

Kamui managed to stop her tears. "I know…" She sat up and sniffled. "Sorry for disturbing you… I'll go back to my room now." She'd been enough of a bother for him since coming to Nohr. The last thing he needed was her crying in his bed in the middle of the night.

Strong fingers grasped her wrist. "Kamui, what's wrong?" Leo demanded. She could hear the concern in his voice.

She automatically tried to pull her hand away, but he didn't release her. She suddenly felt too warm. How was she supposed to tell him something that she didn't understand herself? There was no way she could admit out loud that she just wanted to be with him.

She took a deep breath. "I couldn't sleep…"

His thumb rubbed soothing circles into her wrist. "Why not?"

"I was just… thinking about Orochi and Ryoma again," she mumbled.

"Kamui, they're going to be fine. You said so yourself," he reassured her.

She swallowed; her throat felt too tight. "I know. It still hurts, though." Her eyes stung like she was going to cry again, but she seemed to have exhausted her supply of tears for now.

"What can I do to help you?" His voice was soft and gentle.

She felt so _stupid_ for asking this, but he wouldn't let her go until she told him something. "Can I stay with you tonight?" she blurted out.

He answered without hesitation. "Of course."

"Really?" Kamui whispered. She lay back down on the bed.

"That's what I said, isn't it?" He sounded slightly amused.

"Well…" Her heart started pounding again as she thought about the implications of sleeping in his bed.

"Kamui, you're trembling," Leo noted. "You don't have to stay if you don't want to." His thumb caressed her knuckles. "I won't be upset either way."

She glanced at him and could make out the outline of his face. "But…" She wasn't sure what she wanted anymore.

He let go of her hand, and her wrist suddenly felt cold. "I won't make you stay." She inhaled sharply when he pressed his lips to her forehead. "I just want you to be happy." His warm breath brushed against her face.

_This is what you wanted, Kamui._

She took a deep breath. "I'll stay."

"Okay," was all he said. He relaxed back into the bed, resting on his side and facing her. "If you don't need anything else, I'd like to get back to sleep," he mumbled.

Kamui felt guilty at the reminder that she was making him lose sleep. "Yes, please go back to sleep." She didn't know if she'd get any sleep, but hopefully her husband would.

Leo sighed. " Goodnight, Kamui."

"Goodnight, Leo," she breathed.

She lay there in the silence that followed. She felt relieved that he hadn't kicked her out of his room. Despite his proximity, she still felt the chill of the Nohrian summer night, which reminded her of why she'd come in the first place. She scooted closer to him and sighed. _Hopefully he hasn't fallen asleep yet._

"Leo?" she whispered.

"Hm?"

"Can you… can you hold me? I'm cold."

"Yeah," he mumbled. "Come here."

She moved into his waiting embrace and sighed. "Thank you, Leo." He pulled her a little closer to his chest, and she happily snuggled up to him. With his arms wrapped around her, making her feel warm and safe, Kamui easily drifted off into a deep sleep.

* * *

 

Her face was the first thing Leo saw in the morning. To be completely honest, he wasn't sure why she was still here. Last night had been… well, at the very least it had been memorable. Her sleeping expression was peaceful now, but Leo couldn't forget the image of her eyes wide in fear as he'd held Brynhildr in his hand, prepared to…

_I almost hurt her. I could have_ killed _her._ He felt ill at the thought.

Despite that, Kamui had asked to stay with him. And she was still here. Leo's arms were still loosely wrapped around her slender body. Her silvery curls were splayed across the pillow. Her lips were slightly parted, and her bosom rose and fell with her gentle breathing. She truly was like an angel, and Leo was hopelessly smitten with her.

Normally he'd get up and get an early start on the day, but he was content just to stay like this for now. He didn't really have anything pressing this morning anyway. He'd much rather be here with his wife.

Careful not to disturb her, Leo drew closer to Kamui. He pressed his lips to her forehead and closed his eyes. He was in no rush for this moment to end. When she was awake, Leo was cautious with her, so she wouldn't figure out the depth of his feelings for her. But when she was sleeping like this, he could drop his guard a little. He didn't have to hide the fact that he was in love with her.

It was getting harder to keep his feelings a secret. He kept almost slipping up and revealing his adoration for her. She'd certainly grown more comfortable with him, but Leo knew that confessing to her would only terrify her right now. She didn't need to deal with this on top of everything else.

Before he realized how much time had passed, Kamui stirred in his arms. She blinked at him a couple of times. Her eyes were confused at first, then they widened. Her cheeks flushed. "L-Leo," she gasped. He felt her start to tremble.

Maybe he should have left before she woke up. Well, it was too late now, and he didn't want to let her go just yet.

Leo smiled at her. "Good morning, Kamui. How did you sleep, my dear?" He quietly chided himself for calling her that. _She's going to figure it out…_

She blinked. "I… uh… I slept well," she stuttered. "And you?"

Unable to stop himself, Leo buried his face in her curls. "Quite well, thank you," he murmured in her ear.

"That's good." Her voice shook ever so slightly.

Leo sighed. _I'm probably pushing her too far._ He reluctantly pulled away from her and sat up.

She sat up, careful to arrange the skirt of her nightgown over her legs. Her crimson eyes were still wide. "Leo, I-" She took a deep breath. "I'm sorry."

Leo resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Why was she apologizing now? "I don't know what you're apologizing for."

She gasped and covered her mouth. "Oh, I'm sorry for apologizing; I know you don't like that-"

Leo cut her off before she kept going on about that. "Kamui, it's fine. You don't need to apologize for apologizing." He laughed under his breath. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that you'd think of doing that."

"Oh. Well, so-" She broke off before she finished saying it. She wouldn't meet his gaze. "I kept you up last night; I made you lose sleep. That was selfish of me."

Leo wanted to groan. Why was she always blaming herself for everything? "Look, don't worry about it. You're… you're my wife, so…" His face grew warm. _What am I even trying to say?_ "There's no issue, whatsoever. Don't think that means you can keep me up all night," he added quickly. "I would not appreciate that."

She giggled. "I don't think I'd dare. Your siblings have told me enough about how you get when you're sleep deprived. I don't want to unleash Mr. Grouchypants on everyone."

"Ugh. Why does everyone keep calling me that?" He crossed his arms. "Surely I'm not _that_ bad."

Kamui let out a genuine laugh. The sound was beautiful. "Sorry, sorry." She rested a hand on his shoulder. "You really aren't _that_ bad. It's just your reaction is so-" Whatever she was going to say dissolved into a round of giggles. _Well, at least she's laughing, not crying._

"It's still not a very dignified name for royalty," Leo argued. "It sounds like something Elise would name a temperamental cat."

She snorted. She tried to speak, but kept bursting into giggles every few words. "We… we could get a… a cat… and name him Mr. Grouchypants!" Her shoulders shook with laughter.

Leo groaned. "Please don't. Elise would never let me hear the end of it." Actually, it would make him the laughing stock of the whole court most likely. Leo didn't really care too much what others thought of him, but he did need to retain a dignified image as a prince.

Kamui pouted. "Aw, Leo, please…" she begged. Her beautiful eyes were wide and pleading. "It would make me really, really happy."

Perhaps her method was a little childish, but Leo's heart fluttered in his chest regardless. He glanced away from her gaze. "No." There was no way he would let a pair of pretty eyes sway him.

His traitorous heart started pounding in his chest when she crawled into his lap. She cupped his cheek in her hand and forced him to meet those pleading eyes. "Please, Leo." She didn't have to lean in much closer to kiss the corner of his mouth. She'd gotten a lot bolder in the month they'd been married.

When he didn't say anything, she kissed his lips. Without thinking about it, Leo wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer. When they broke apart, he spoke. "You don't need my permission to get a cat, dear."

Kamui kissed him again. "I want him to be _our_ cat," she explained. She grinned mischievously.

Leo rolled his eyes. "And kissing me will make that happen?" he scoffed.

She pecked his lips. "I think so."

As much as he enjoyed her company, Leo extracted himself out of her arms and got out of bed. "That's not going to work."

She pouted. "But you like it."

He flushed. "Regardless, you're not going to get your way by trying to seduce me." He turned to his dresser. "I'm going to get dressed for the day. I suppose if you don't mind watching, you can stay here," he said before he could stop his tongue. _Ugh. Niles must be rubbing off on me._

Without waiting for her response, Leo started to take off his nightshirt. That would probably get her to leave.

Sure enough, Kamui let out a little squeak. Her face turned bright red, and she hopped off the bed. "No, I'm good." She was out of his room in a flash.

Leo couldn't keep the smile off his face as he got ready for the day. There was no way they would have a cat named Mr. Grouchypants, but he was amused with her attempts to change his mind. He couldn't deny that Kamui was absolutely adorable, even when she was being stubborn.

* * *

 

"Camilla, do you know of any kittens that need a home?"

Leo couldn't believe he was having this conversation with his sister, but here they were, talking about cats in her sitting room. After having the whole day to think about it, Leo decided that _maybe_ he'd get a cat for Kamui. She was still down about Orochi's miscarriage, and perhaps it would cheer her up.

Camilla perked up at that, of course.  "But of course, darling! Oh, Leo, are you thinking about adopting a cat?" Her smile was much too bright.

Leo leaned against the door casually. "I never said that."

Camilla smirked. "You're very bad at keeping information from me, little brother. I know everything about you."

Leo shuddered at the thought. The scary thing was that she probably wasn't too far off the mark. Camilla made it her business to know everyone else's business. "I don't see why you need to know that," he retorted.

Camilla just laughed. "Elise and I have a litter of kittens we're taking care of." She grabbed his wrist. "I'll show you them."

She dragged him along with her without waiting for his response. She pestered him about his personal life the whole way to their destination, which ended up being a broom closet by the kitchens. "Now don't be too loud- we don't want to startle them."

Leo gave her a pointed look. "Camilla, forgive me if I don't shout for joy at seeing a bunch of cats."

"Ah, Leo, you're so cute," Camilla cooed. "My precious baby brother."

Leo groaned. "A baby? Wonderful. In case you forgot, I am married now." It still felt weird to say that.

"You'll always be my baby brother, Leo," she remarked.

"Whatever," Leo grumbled. "Are you going to show me the cats or not?"

Camilla giggled. "Patience, little brother." She slowly opened the door and gestured for him to enter the closet.

The basket on the floor was full of a bunch of mewing kittens. There were four in total: two gray tabbies, one dark brown kitten, and one cream-colored kitten.

Camilla hurried over and knelt beside them. "Don't worry! Mommy's here," she cooed. "Leo, come meet your new kitties."

Leo rolled his eyes, but knelt next to her. "I might get _one_ kitten, not a whole litter of them."

"I knew it!" Camilla's eyes were bright. "Why the sudden desire to have a cat?"

Leo stroked one of the gray tabbies between the ears. "Kamui wants us to get a cat," he murmured. Camilla was bound to find out anyway.

"You really care about her, don't you?" Camilla observed.

Leo felt his cheeks grow warm. "Isn't that my job?"

She laughed softly. "You're too sweet, Leo… Have you talked to Kamui recently?"

Leo glanced at her. "Yes," he answered slowly. "Why do you ask?" Was she implying that he wasn't paying enough attention to his wife?

Camilla frowned. "She's been down since yesterday. I'm worried about her."

Leo picked up the kitten and held it against his chest. He debated how much to share with Camilla. "Has she told you anything?" he asked.

Camilla shook her head. "I was hoping maybe she'd confided in you about it. She is _your_ wife after all."

So Kamui hadn't told his sister about the miscarriage, but she'd told Leo. He remembered how she'd cried in his arms last night, and his heart ached at the memory.

He swallowed thickly. "She has shared some things with me," he answered.

"And?"

Leo gave his sister a cool stare. "Camilla, I don't know what she wants shared with others yet." And he wasn't about to share anything with Camilla. He had told Kamui that what she told him would be kept secret and he meant to honor that promise.

Camilla didn't like that answer. "But Leo, we're sisters now. And I can't bear to see any of my sweet siblings suffering… You haven't quarreled with her again, have you?"

Leo was offended she'd come to that conclusion. "Of course not," he snapped. He winced when the kitten dug its tiny claws into him. "Ouch." He held the kitten away from his body.

"I'm glad to hear that." Camilla smiled again. "It seems he's taken quite a liking to you," she noted.

"I was unaware that clawing someone is a way cats show favor," Leo remarked dryly.

"Oh, hush. He's just a few weeks old anyway," Camilla chided. "You should pick him. Kamui would absolutely adore him."

"I haven't decided if I'm getting a cat yet. I'm still considering it."

Camilla smiled knowingly. "I think we both know that's not true… Wait right here, dear. I'm going to grab something."

"Sister, what-?"

But she was already gone.

Leo eyed the kitten. "Well, I guess it's just you and me." He felt pretty silly kneeling in a broom closet, holding a baby cat, but there wasn't a whole lot he could do to change that.

Camilla returned quicker than he'd expected. She held up a round violet box with a bow. "Put him in here, then give the gift to Kamui." She beamed. "She'll be so excited."

Leo sighed. _The things I do for her…_ "C'mon, kitty. You're going in here for a few minutes." He gently set the kitten in Camilla's box.

Camilla closed the lid and pushed the box into Leo's arms. "Hurry now. Go find your sweetheart."

* * *

 

Kamui wasn't in her room, so Leo waited in his room for the sound of her approach. He sat on his bed and let the kitten out of the gift box. Gods knew he wouldn't want to be stuck in some box for who knew how long.

The kitten began to claw Leo's bedding, of course. He mewed when Leo picked him up.

"No, I'm not letting you tear up my bed," Leo chastised quietly. He sighed. "Where is she?"

He still couldn't believe he was actually going through with this. Giving Kamui a cat was much different than giving her flowers; the kitten was a living creature and would actually require them to care for him. Hopefully Kamui hadn't changed her mind since this morning.

Leo's heart rate picked up pace when he heard someone enter Kamui's bedroom. He cursed himself for being as nervous as when he'd first given her flowers. That still didn't seem like it had been that long ago.

He placed the kitten back in the box. "Let's get this over with," he murmured. He knocked on Kamui's door and waited for her response.

"J-Just a moment. I'm getting changed," she called. After a few minutes, he heard her saying goodnight to Felicia.

Leo blinked in surprise when the door suddenly opened. Kamui wore a dark blue nightgown with lacy sleeves. Her long hair was pulled back into a single braid over one shoulder. Her cheeks were slightly flushed. "L-Leo. C-Come in," she said breathlessly. Her smile was too wide, as if she was faking it.

Leo stepped in and eyed her warily. "You okay?"

She nodded vigorously. "Mhm." She sat on her bed and patted the spot next to her. "How was your day?"

Leo felt self-conscious sitting next to her with the box on his lap. He could feel the kitten moving inside. "It was fine," he answered. "Yours?"

"Oh, it was good! I got some sparring practice in with Xander and had tea with your sisters and some other ladies, although I don't remember their names…" She continued to rattle off details of her day in a rush. _Why is she so on edge tonight?_

Leo cleared his throat. "I'm glad to hear it went well… You seem a little nervous. Did something happen?"

She fidgeted with her hands in her lap and wouldn't meet his gaze. "Oh, everything's fine."

Leo was still skeptical, but decided not to push it. "Okay… If you insist."

She nodded. "Yep." Her eyes fell on the box in his lap. "What's this?" She finally met his eyes again. Hers were full of curiosity.

It was Leo's turn to get nervous. "Oh, this is for you." He pushed the gift into her arms.

She smiled softly. "Thank you…" There was a thump from within the box. "What in the-?" Kamui lifted the lid and gasped. Her eyes were shining. "Leo… you… you got me a kitten?!"

"I'm pretty sure that's what he is," Leo commented.

She cradled the cat against her bosom and stroked his fur. "I… I can't believe it. I didn't think you'd actually…" She beamed at him. "Thank you, Leo." Her joyful radiance took Leo's breath away.

"You're… you're welcome," Leo stuttered.

Kamui smirked. "You haven't named him yet, have you?"

"No. But we're _not_ naming him Mr. Grouchypants." Leo was fine with having a cat, but there was no way he'd give their cat such a ridiculous name.

She laughed. "Oh, please, Leo? I think it's an adorable name."

He rolled his eyes. "No, I will not subject my cat to such a disgrace."

"Then what would _you_ name our cat?"

Leo didn't have an answer ready. "Let me sleep on it tonight, and we can discuss it tomorrow," he suggested.

For some reason, she blushed again. "Okay. I guess I'll see you tomorrow, then."

Leo folded his arms across his chest. "Kamui, I can tell something is bothering you. What's going on?"

Kamui nibbled her lip. "Um… Can I sleep with you tonight?" Her words were rushed, and Leo almost didn't understand her. She hid her face in the kitten's fur.

Leo blinked. "Of course." And then it dawned on him. "Is that why you're acting this way?"

Kamui let out an adorable squeak. "Maybe… yes? I didn't want to assume anything." Her face was crimson. He wasn't sure he'd ever seen her this flustered.

Leo sighed. It seemed things were starting to change between them and neither of them knew where the boundaries were anymore. "Kamui, you're always welcome to spend the night with me." He tucked a lock of hair behind her pointed ear. "I quite enjoy your company." Truth be told, Leo wanted her to sleep in his arms every night, but he wasn't about to get his hopes up about that. He was just happy she'd come to him last night.

Kamui finally looked at him again. She looked so vulnerable. "I like being with you, too," she mumbled. She smiled softly. "So, should we go to your room, or-?"

Leo shrugged. "Whatever is fine."

Kamui stood, still holding the kitten in her arms. "Your room," she decided.

After they were in his bedroom, Kamui asked, "So, what are we going to do with Mr. Grouchypants for the night?"

"We are _not_ naming the cat Mr. Grouchypants."

She just laughed again.


End file.
